I Am Not A Paragon
by Shaleene
Summary: Nahalanee Aeducan/Dwarf Noble/Rogue Takes place in Origins, Nahalanee and company fighting the blight. You know the story.
1. Lake Calenhad chp 1

_Nahalanee Aeducan and company have traveled to the circle to find help in banishing Connor's demon. I know it's an odd place to start a story, but what can I say it wasn't suppose to be a story. It's my first attempt at writing something, so be nice, if you see something wrong don't hesistate to let me know.. thanks The title is weird but I couldn't think of anything else. critisizm is welcome, good or bad._

**_Lake Calenhad.._ http : / / shaleene1 . deviantart . com/ gallery /#/ d3esk25 **_remove spaces as always_

She stood at the Lakes edge looking out over the moonlit water,she  
>didn't see the reflection of the stars, the soft ripples from the cool breeze, or<br>the occasional fish leaping for a lazy late night snack. Her mind was full of doubt  
>and suspicion, was she justified or just paranoid?<p>

There was a time when she could tell who could and couldn't be trusted. But now she  
>didn't know, she had been questioning her decisions since she left Flemeth's hut. She<br>looked down at her reflection in the water, her pale face stared back sardonically.

Once upon a time those tattoos meant the world to her, they were her status, her birthright,  
>her pride, now they were her shame, oh how they mocked her. She wished she could just<br>erase them, destroy them. She had killed Trian, was betrayed by Behlen, shamed and  
>exiled by the assembly, shamed, betrayed, and exiled by the human lords, and now<br>led a group of people blindly into a losing battle.

A tear fell down her cheek and hit the surface of the water, joining no doubt an untold number of others.

"Ah my dear Warden, what a sight is it not? So peaceful." She quickly wiped the  
>tears away as she jerked around. She had not heard the Antivan walk up, nor had<br>she noticed that Trian had begun to growl and repositioned himself between her  
>and the approaching Elf. She glanced around him at the camp, everyone else had<br>already turned in for the night. How long had she been standing there?

"We have gone over your plan and everyone agrees, once we free the boy," he of course  
>was talking about the possessed human child in Redcliff. "We make our way to<br>Denerim. Morrigan of course thinks it is a waste of time and we should go straight  
>to Orzammar, but she was outnumbered." She cringed slightly.<p>

"This could not wait till tomorrow?"

She was suspicious, as usual, but more then that she didn't want anyone seeing  
>her this way. To been seen in such a state was to be seen as weak and disgraced.<p>

"It could, but I wanted to speak with you privately, Warden." She bade the  
>dog stand down who obediently took his place beside her.<p>

"Come to finish your job, then?"

Zevran tilted his head sideways and an odd look flashed across his face then  
>disappeared just as quickly. As if he saw something deep inside her stir, pleading<br>with him to finish what he started weeks ago.

"Come now my Grey Warden, do you still not trust me? We've been traveling  
>together for weeks now." She shrugged and turned to look out over the lake again.<br>"How can I trust you if I can't even trust myself? How can you all follow when  
>I..." Her voice broke and she hung her head.<p>

"Aah my lady Aeducan..."

"Don't!" she nearly yelled at him cutting off his words as she spun to face him,  
>her eyes blazed with untold fury, and forcing Zevran to take a step back. Just as<br>suddenly her face softened and she hung her head once again.

" I'm... I'm sorry... Just don't... Not that name" He stepped close and placed  
>his hand under her chin forcing her head gently up.<p>

"Nahalanee." She compared his voice to liquid silver, soft, beautiful, irresistible.

She looked up and for a long moment they just stared into each others eyes.  
>He smiled and turned walking silently back to the camp. That one look from Zevran<br>said everything she needed to hear, and more.


	2. The Fade chp 2

_This is the second ... chapter... as it were of Nahalanee's story. Title explains alot. I was trying to come up with something other then standing awkwardly in wieseppt fortress with duncan. It seemed an odd fade dream for any origin anyway._

Gorim walked into the sparring room and ducked just in time as one of  
>Trian's custom forged axes flew over his head and hit the wall behind him.<br>He had to chuckle as he looked at the scene in front of him, Trian was on  
>the ground and Nahalanee stood over him, the tip of her sword at his throat.<p>

"By the Ancestors, you will be a fighter yet my dear sister." Trian bellowed  
>as Nahalanee stepped back and offered her brother a hand. She helped him up<br>and he laughed, clapping a heavy hand hard on her shoulder nearly knocking  
>her off her feet.<p>

"Now if we could just get you to use a proper ax."

"Not if the Ancestors themselves commanded me!" She snapped at him, had it not  
>been for the smile that lit up her face, you would have thought her truly offended<br>by the idea. Trian laughed and clapped her on the shoulder again. "Come let us have a  
>drink." He walked over to the table in the far corner were Behlen was sitting watching<br>the sparring session.

"Behlen what do you think of our sister, she will be a great commander one day,  
>don't you think?" Behlen grinned and raised his mug "Indeed, to the next commander,<br>may she kill three times the darkspawn of any other dwarf!"

Nahalanee was putting her swords back on the weapon racks when she heard the toast  
>behind her and froze. She decided against returning the blades to the weapon rack, and<br>instead slid them one at a time into the scabbards across her back.

She turned and looked at the picture before her, something didn't seem quite right.  
>As she looked from one brother to the other, she felt a small pang in her heart.<br>Sadness and hatred, one emotion for each brother.

"Come sister, have a drink. Ah Gorim, you have come to watch your love best her  
>brother again have you?" Trian bellowed toward the door. <em>He's too happy,<em> she thought.  
>Nahalanee looked over, Gorim stood leaning against the wall smiling and watching her.<br>A wave of heart break and guilt coursed through her causing her to visibly shudder.

"Indeed, she has become a very skilled warrior, it is an honor fighting at her side."  
>He saluted and walked over to her giving her a quick peck on the cheek. She shuddered again.<p>

He grabbed her hand and led her to the table where Trian handed them both a mug. "To  
>my sister the next commander of the armies, and to her second, soon to be my<br>brother-in-law if I hear correctly!" Nahalanee looked at the contents of her mug and  
>grimaced, <em>we never drink this... stuff,<em> she thought and set her mug down.

"Gorim is Warrior caste, our father the King would never allow it, nor would you."  
>She looked at Trian suspiciously.<p>

She groaned and mashed the heels of her hands against her temples as a wave of pain  
>shot through her head. She shook it off and looked up again, the air around her seemed<br>to shimmer, much like the air above the iron forges, but it was green, was that possible?  
>She closed her eyes for a moment lowering her head trying to think. Everything was<br>cloudy.

_Demons_ a small voice seemed to whisper to her._ Demons in the circle._ Her eyes flew open  
>as she felt a hand on her arm "Are you ok my love?" Gorim asked.<p>

She pulled her arm away and stepped back while simultaneously pulling both of her  
>weapons. She thought, <em>I was in the circle trying to save the mages, the demon, the<em>  
><em>demon...<em> Had she not been witnessing it right now, she would have laughed had  
>anyone told her this could happen, a dwarf in the fade, that realm of human dreams.<p>

"Who are you and what have you done to my companions?" Gorim moved back and joined  
>her two brothers, no not brothers, the other two... things at the table. All three<br>of them were watching her now. It was the one who looked like Behlen who spoke.

"Are you not happy here? Is this not what you want, a happy life with your brothers  
>and your lover?"<p>

"You are not my brother, and he is not my... He is not Gorim."

"You could stay here with us, away from the fighting and be happy. Don't resist."

Her left hand faltered slightly, her blade nearly dropping to the stone floor. For  
>one second she thought <em>maybe it wouldn't be so bad, living here,<em> but that thought was  
>banished faster then it had surfaced.<p>

Behlen grinned, but that grin was short lived as one of Nahalanee's blades sank deep  
>into his chest.<p>

"I could never be happy at the hands of demons, especially ones who can't even act  
>like proper dwarves!" she said and charged the other two.<p>

It was over quickly, a twinge of guilt and sadness gripped her heart as she watched  
>Trian's head roll across the floor. In the end Trian had not been a loving brother, but that<br>had never stopped her from loving him, she had always looked up to him. And to kill  
>him a second time, even if it wasn't really Trian, hurt.<p>

She retrieved her blade from Behlen's chest and spun to her right as she heard an odd  
>sound. She watched dumbfounded as a small black pedestal seemed to shimmer into<br>existence 20 feet away.

She returned her blades to their scabbards as she approached the pedestal, a white  
>glyph appeared on the ground around it. For a long time she just stared at it, trying<br>to make out the odd symbols carved on the top, and then did the only thing she could think of.

She reached out and rested her hand on the strange design, a feeling of being torn in  
>half wracked her body as the world seemed to fade into darkness, only to reappear again<br>a moment later. She fell to her knees panting, by the ancestors that hurt! She thought.

"Who are you?" A voice asked from her left. She quickly regained her feet as she reached  
>over her shoulder with her right hand, resting it on the hilt of her sword.<p>

"I could ask you the same thing, are you another demon?" She asked the robed human before  
>her.<p>

"I am Niall," He replied, looking at her with worn wary eyes. "A mage of the circle of  
>Fereldan. I was trying to save the circle when I ran into the sloth demon."<p> 


	3. First Time in a Big City ch 3

_Chapter 3 I guess.. They saved Connor, got the mages as allies and heard the story about the urn and headed to Denerim to find Genitivi. I know its a huge jump from fade to here, but if you played through you know what happen :P.. Sorry for the jump I'm terrible at consistency. Oh and if your wondering about the odd format, it's what i had to use on Bioware Social Network when I posted it on the blog. Hopefully if I get the story moving again it will be better formatted for this site._

It took them just over a week to get to Denerim after they managed to save  
>the mages and kill the demon that plagued Connor, the human boy in Redcliff.<br>They promised Teagan they would search for this vase of ashes, much to Morrigan  
>and Sten's very blatant disapproval.<p>

She didn't know how long she stood there, head cocked to one side watching  
>the sister recite the chant, nor did she hear the Antivan walk up behind<br>her. Her mood had definitely improved over the last week or so, but if  
>anyone noticed, (and there was little chance they were blind enough to miss it)<br>they were too polite to point it out.

"You will draw much unwanted attention if you keep standing there like  
>a dim-witted four foot human." He all but whispered in her ear.<p>

She jumped and growled. Turning, she hit Zevran in the chest and then spewed a  
>few dwarven curses as she shook out her hand. She forgot they upgraded Zevran's<br>armor which now consisted of a light weight, but very strong chain mail tunic.

I'm four foot five thank you" She growled defensively, trying not to smile  
>as she looked at her hand. It would no doubt bruise, maybe Morrigan could fix it.<p>

"The Veal holds no uncertainty for her, and she will know no fear of death,  
>for the Maker shall be her bacon and her shield!" Her attention turned back<br>to the sister who was spouting what sounded like nonsense to Nahalanee. She  
>wondered if bacon and veal in human tongue was something different then what<br>she thought they were.

"Did you find out anything about Brother Genitivi?" Zevran asked. She had gone  
>to the chantry thinking they might beable to help her locate him.<p>

"No, the chantry is closed.." She replied looking up at Zevran. "Hey Zev, can I  
>ask you something?"<p>

"Ask me anything, but only if I get to stare at you luridly as you do so." He purred  
>and grinned at her. She hated when he said things like that, they always made her<br>pale face turn a bright shade of red.

They had been dancing around each other since the circle, Alistair complained  
>on more then one occasion about their battlefield flirting and how it was<br>going to get them all killed. Morrigan even had to chime in a few times while  
>they flirted in camp about how she was going to vomit if they didn't stop.<p>

Morrigan's complaints she understood, kind of, but Alistair's, not so much.

Sure they flirted on the battlefield, but it mostly consisted of trying to  
>outdo the other, in technique, kills, and grace. She won in technique and<br>body count many times, but nothing, she thought on more then one occasion,  
>would ever best the grace and agility of the elf, even his golden hair<br>seemed to flow in perfect sync with his every move.

If anything Alistair should be happy, the harder they tried to impress  
>each other the faster the darkspawn and bandits died.<p>

She was grinning staring up at him, when Zevran pipped in "I know I'm  
>beautiful but if you keep staring at me like that, I might just melt away,<br>and then who will you think about during those long boring nights on watch?"  
>He smirked. She blinked pulled from her thoughts, and blushed.<p>

"Oh right, umm..."she thought "Oh yeah!" she turned back to the sister and  
>pointed her tone serious once more.<p>

"See that lady there? I think shes one of those chanters or something, shes saying  
>that light chant the humans worship." She paused. Zevran frowned in confusion.<br>Nahalanee knew humans were daft, but she hoped they weren't THIS daft. At the very  
>least hoping those words meant something else.<p>

"Humans don't really worship bacon and veal do they?" She spouted out just as  
>Alistair and Leliana walked up behind her. Zevran looked at Alistair, Alistair<br>looked at Zevran then Leliana, Leliana looked at Alistair then Zevran, this  
>went on for a few more seconds then they all looked at the dwarf who was staring intently.<p>

The serious look on her face unhinged them all and they all burst into gales of  
>laughter. That was all the answer she needed, and soon she was laughing with them<br>despite her attempts to look angry and hurt. She always did have a problem of taking things too literal.

"Come on Nahalanee we found him." Alistair said after he could speak again,  
>wiping tears from his eyes. Then he burst into another bout of laughter,<br>everyone looked at him as if he'd just cracked.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry." Alistair said, a big grin on his face. "I just thought  
>of the first time Nahalanee was in a chantry back in Lothering when she was<br>asking about the .." He had to stop and catch his breath. "About the sacred flame  
>of Andraste." Nahalanee turned red.<p>

"Hey it was a legitimate question at the time!" She snapped at him, but she  
>was smiling despite herself. She didn't find it that funny, but it never<br>failed to make Alistair laugh.

"Fill us in, won't you warden?" Zevran said as they walked toward the other  
>end of the market and toward Genitivi's house.<p>

She sighed . "I asked a brother if I should set myself on fire if I sinned.  
>It's not my fault, he told me that humans use fire to cleanse themselves if<br>they sin." She stuck her tongue out at Alistair. A childish move, but she  
>didn't care, she was happy.<p>

Leliana gasped "I'm surprised he didn't slap you right there!"

"Oh yes very brotherly like. A man in a chantry dress beating the daylights  
>out of a four foot warden, the scandal!" Alistair added.<p>

"Four foot five." Zevran replied in a mocking tone, and they all started  
>laughing again.. everyone except Nahalanee who had frozen mid step. Her face,<br>which was naturally pale, became deathly white, IIt couldn't be,/I she thought  
>to herself.<p>

Zevran grabbed her by the shoulders and blocked her view, she leaned sideways to  
>look around him. "Warden?" He said with what sounded like genuine concern. Her<br>face twisted into a look of several emotions, any other time they might have laughed.

"It's Gorim." she whispered. _Of all the rotten luck! Why now_ "The ancestors have  
>a sense of humor," She mumbled. She shook her head and blushed. "Sorry its nothing can..<br>Umm... I need a minute." She shrugged Zevran's hands off and walked away. Leliana made  
>to follow her but Zevran grabbed her arm and shook his head, a small smile playing on<br>his lips. She stopped and watched the dwarf wander away.

Nahalanee took several deep breaths, it had been months since she saw his face,  
>she had put him behind her. She never forgot him, he was always her first love but...<p>

Her thought trailed off there as she thought of Zevran. _Damn the ancestors,damn_  
><em>the paragons, damn the stone.<em> Part of her was happy to see him, but another  
>part of her hoped he had forgotten her.<p>

She lost her nerve while she was still a good ten feet away and spun on her heels to  
>make a quick get away. <em>Please don't see me please don't...<em>

"Dwarven crafts, fine dwar... My lady Aeducan?" She gave a look that  
>would melt the very stone. She shouldn't be surprised he noticed, her hair was<br>always a dead give away in a crowd. She wondered if cutting it off would help her  
>blend in, but in truth her vanity would never let her stoop to such levels.<p>

_Curse the ancestors and all their began again in her mind. damn_  
><em>the paragons, damn...<em>She turned smiling "GORIM!" She yelled, maybe a little to  
>loud and ran up to him giving him a huge hug.<p>

"My lady! My lady Aeducan! It is you, I had given up hope you even survived!"

"I'm not that easy to kill" She winced, remembering that was one of the last  
>lines she spouted before her men betrayed her to her brother. It was clear<br>Gorim was thinking the same thing.

"And please Gorim, it's Nahalanee. I'm no longer royalty."

He nodded "My la... Nahalanee what happened to you? Tell me!"

She gave him the abridged version - wardens, Loghain, assassins, blight.

"Wow, I knew you were destined for great things my lady."

"So how are you, Gorim? Ready to take your place as my second again?" She asked before  
>she realized it. <em> Idiot, that was stupid,<em> she thought to herself.

His face turned grim "I... My lady I thought you were lost I've... I've found  
>someone. I'm married she's a good woman her father is a great smith and he gave me<br>this job" His answer came out rather quick. The sentence seeming to meld into one  
>really long word, and perhaps sounded a little more defensive then he would have liked.<p>

"A wife!" her surprise was genuine, the 'I'm glad for you' tone wasn't. Oh she was  
>shocked alright, but more along the seething hatred side rather then the, 'good for<br>you!', side.

She smiled, _well that didn't take him long_ she thought bitterly, but she  
>was breathing an inward sigh of relief. She was glad, glad for him, and glad for<br>herself.

"Yes, Naha, My lady. I am warrior caste you were heir after Trian, we both knew.."  
>She stopped him mid sentence.<p>

"Nahalanee, Gorim. Please" She really wasn't in the mood for the caste speech.  
>Trian, Behlen, and about a hundred cousins used to spout it at her daily, sometimes<br>while they were beating Gorim black and blue when they were caught them doing anything  
>other then swinging swords at darkspawn.<p>

"Of course, Nahalanee" He smiled weakly.

"So when do I get to meet this wife of yours" She said in a pleasant tone. Gorim's  
>relief was very noticeable as she continued to smile that diplomatic smile. Underneath<br>she was starting to get very uncomfortable, she linked her hands behind her back,  
>right hand holding her left wrist, a gesture she used many times in a situation when<br>she didn't want to reveal her true feelings.

"Soon I hope, she reminds me a lot of you. I think you will like her, I would love  
>to have you for dinner sometime." Gorim said happily, relief again crossing his face,<br>mistaking Nahalanee's smile for genuine happiness. She was glad he couldn't read her,  
>then again he never really could.<p>

"I would much enjoy that Gorim, perhaps after I save Ferelden, that dragon isn't going  
>to slay himself you know." She gave what she hoped sounded like a pleasant enough laugh.<br>Thankfully, he joined in. She was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the minute.  
>She didn't know why, she should be happy but that small part of her wanted to rip out<br>his spine and beat him repeatedly for forgetting her.

I_sn't that what you did? Or did you forget flirting with Zevran already._  
>Her mind mused, a voice that sounded not unlike a female Trian, same<br>mocking tone her brother used to have. _But marriage?_ She thought at that  
>other voice then growled inwardly at herself. <em>Great, now I'm arguing with myself!<em>  
><em>Her left hand balled into a fist behind her back.<em>

"well if I can help let me know, my fighting days are over, but I will give you  
>a discount on my father in laws wares, he can deal with it"<p>

"Thanks Gorim, you are a true friend."

"Anytime My Lady." He continued to ramble on about his new family and how great  
>the surface was, and how great it was to see her again, she nodding in the right<br>places, smile plastered to her face, jaw tense. "Oh and I was told to give you  
>this." He turned and pulled a shield from under one of his tables.<p>

She gasped, The shield of Aeducan and a letter sealed with the Aeducan crest. "You saw  
>my father?" she said remembering when they stripped the ring of Aeducan from her finger.<p>

"Indeed, if ever there was a man who died of regret, it was him. He believed you  
>were innocent you know." she took the shield and letter from him. She slipped the<br>shields leather strap over her shoulder and stared at the letter. Gorim went on again  
>about random things, she continued to nod and smile.<p>

All at once his voice trailed off and his eyes moved over her shoulder, she looked  
>behind her and saw the Antivan approaching, she was never so happy to see him, but<br>that thankful moment was very short lived as Zevran opened his mouth.

"I am sorry to cut your reunion short, Ser dwarf, but I must steal the beautiful  
>Grey Warden for some... personal business. I am sure a handsome ladies man such<br>as yourself understands." He grinned and winked at Gorim as he threw an arm over  
>her shoulders. She could have killed him right there, she imagined what it would<br>look like to see Zevran's head roll across the market place. But she was inwardly  
>grateful for the rescue.<p>

"Of course, it was very nice to see you again Nahalanee I hope I see you again  
>soon." He gave a courteous bow.<p>

"I so very much look forward to it." she smiled and returned the bow. _All those_  
><em>years as a royal really paid off,<em> she thought for not the first time.

Zevran gave a bow of the head then turned to Nahalanee. "Shall we?" He was using  
>what she came to call THAT tone, and she wondered if his headless body would live<br>long enough to feel his arms ripped from their sockets and shoved up his back end.

It wasn't the first time she thought, _maybe father was right, I should have been a_  
><em>berserker.<em>

Her hand begun to hurt and she looked down, realizing she had balled her fist so  
>tight her nails bit into her palm hard enough to draw blood. <em>Great,<em> she  
>mused bittery, <em>another speech from Morrigan about healing superficial and totally<em>  
><em>avoidable wounds.<em>

"Thank you" she mumbled to the elf, she didn't know why she felt so horrid all of  
>a sudden, or rather she tried to tell herself she didn't.<p>

Gorim would always have a place in her heart, to find out he was with another person  
>all this time hurt, but probably not as much as it would have two weeks ago. She<br>sighed softly and looked up at Zevran.

"Perhaps later we can discuss payment for rescuing you, hmm?" He said with a grin.  
>She hated that grin, but when she saw it, her mood quickly turned back for the better.<p>

"Perhaps. We shall see, Assassin." She said in a low voice as they approached the  
>others. She still wanted to kill him for that little show he put on for Gorim though.<p>

Alistair and Leliana were standing outside the door of Brother Genitivi's house.  
>"Ok sorry, lets get this over with." She grumbled.<p>

"Oh, not going to regale us with tales of lost love, of a time when two hearts soared  
>together through molten rock and hot iron. When..."Alistair was cut off mid sentence<br>as Zevran shot him a look that said something along the lines of _one more word and_  
><em>I will finish what I started, oath or not.<em> He looked at Leliana, then dropped his  
>gaze and sighed dramatically when he saw she was giving him a look very similar to Zevran's.<p>

Nahalanee knocked on the door, waited, knocked again and waited some more.  
>Alistair's words had soiled her mood, again. She heard sounds from inside and<br>grumbled.

"Then we do this the hard way, STEN!" She was glad for Sten's presence, he was  
>a hard man to like, but he could kick a door better then any berserker she knew.<p>

Sten came around the corner where he had been keeping watch and raised his eyebrow  
>at her. "There is a door in my way." He nodded, walked up to them and with one<br>huge foot, kicked the door in.

"Andraste's great flaming arse! What is the meaning of this!" A whelp of a human  
>yelled as the dwarf stepped through the shattered door. His look of anger and<br>annoyance vanished rather quickly however when she was followed by two humans,  
>an elf, and a seven and a half foot bronze giant. Nahalanee smirked, it was probably<br>Sten that scared him the most. Again she was grateful for him.


	4. Next Stop  Haven?  ch 4

Pretty much picks up right where the last left off..

.

.

Nahalanee closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache creeping up  
>as the idiot babbled on.<p>

"For the love... SHUT UP!" She finally yelled and Weylon's mouth closed with an audible click of  
>the teeth.<p>

"I smell death." Sten suddenly said in a low voice behind her.

"Is that what the stench is, and here I thought they had gotten hold of Alistair's recipe for stew.." She  
>smiled as she saw the look on Alistair's face.<p>

"Last time, give me Genitivi's research." she growled at the man.

"I can't do that, he would be furious with me."

"Fine, I will get it myself." She walked past the man and toward the door at the back of the house.

"H, hey you can't go back there! Stop!" He squeaked.

"Oh, why not? I just want to look." She said not bothering to turn around.

As the door swung open she heard the familiar crackle of magic. She turned just in time to see small  
>sparks of light die out on the mans finger tips as his headless body thudded to the ground. Apparently<br>he had already forgotten about the giant Qunari standing behind him with an equally giant sword.

"Thanks Sten." she said and walked into the back room. A moment later she yelled "You were right, I  
>think I found the real err, Weylon guy!" She frowned and wrinkled her nose.<p>

They took their time going through the house and collecting books, journals and maps. _I'm always _  
><em>the one stuck looking over this crap<em>, she sighed as they shoved it all into her pack and headed back  
>to the Gnawed noble.<p>

"So we will finish outfitting and restocking today, and spend one more night here. I will go through  
>these things later and see where our next stop is. " She was explaining to Leliana and Alistair<br>as she dumped her bag into her room. "If you would help me Alistair, that would be great. Many words  
>in the trade tongue I still can't read." She was of course talking about human language.<p>

"Alistair, remember Gorim, that dwarf in the market? If his father is as good as he says, his armor  
>should be much nicer then splint mail."<p>

She tossed a coin purse at Alistair. "Tell him I sent you over, he should give you a discount,  
>get whatever you need."<p>

"Wouldn't it be better if you came with me?" He asked weighing the gold coins in his hand.

"I promised Leliana shoe shopping." She smiled as she saw Leliana's face light up at the mention  
>of shoes. That and she couldn't face Gorim again, at least not today.<p>

"All right, all right." He turned to leave and stopped when Nahalanee called his name.

"Tomorrow morning, I make good on that promise, yeah?"

He grinned "Thanks Nahalanee, I will hold you to that!"

"What promise is that?" Leliana inquired as they walked out of the inn and toward the market.

"It's a secret. Come show me these shoes you keep going on about, and pick out new armor for you and  
>Morrigan, maybe Zev." She grinned at the last.<p>

"You and Zevran, who would have thought, dwarf and elf! Scandalous!"

"It's not like that!" She all but yelled at the bard, then under her breath added, "Not yet."

Leliana squealed in delight at the dwarf's admission. Nahalanee thought she sounded like a nug with  
>it's tail caught in a trap.<p>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Say anything to anyone, and I will knock you over the head with your own lute!" Nahalanee threatened,  
>but she was smiling. "Come on, your shoes won't wait, race ya!" She took off running, Leliana<br>stared, laughed, then followed.

It would be a long time before anyone else in Denerim could say they saw a human and dwarf racing  
>through the streets laughing like lunatics.<p>

It had been a long day of shopping, she let Leliana give out the new armor and weapons. Nothing  
>too fancy, robes for Morrigan, daggers for her and Zev, a bow for Leliana. She was glad to see<br>Alistair had been successful. He had returned with a full suit of veridium, and had even commissioned  
>a full set of armor for Sten to be ready the next time they were in Denerim. She hadn't thought<br>of that and was a little surprised Alistair had.

Alistair came to her room later that evening, and together they poured over the journals and maps,  
>trying to find something they could go on. Alistair told her about living with the Arl, about his mothers<br>necklace, lady Isolde.

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like it could be dwarven curses. Alistair  
>raised an eyebrow."Oh nothing, I just really did not like her. She is so annoying, the only thing I<br>could think of was how much I wanted to slap her. And..." Nahalanee put down the book she  
>was studying and looked at Alistair.<p>

She had nearly admitted how she wanted to let Jowan do the blood ritual just so they could get rid  
>of Isolde, but luckily managed to bite it back.<p>

"I understand it was her son, but letting Connor kill everyone in the castle and the village, and then  
>to come after Teagan like that? Are all humans so..." She searched for a word and couldn't find one<br>to fully express her disgust.

Alistair caught the gist of what she was saying and smiled. "You wouldn't let a village fall for your  
>child?" She snorted despite herself.<p>

"We dwarves are few enough as it is, wiping out Orzammar for a single child? Not likely. Besides  
>if you hadn't noticed, family means far less to dwarves then power." She said bitterly, there was a<br>time when she would have argued against that, but not anymore.

Alistair opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, then opened it again. "What happened?"

"I killed my elder brother." She said so bluntly that Alistair gasped.

"Oh don't get me wrong, I am sorry it came to that. I tried to avoid it, but he refused to back down.  
>Unfortunately our younger brother managed to turn us against each other. Have to admit, his plan was<br>rather clever."

She folded her arms over her chest and sighed leaning back in her chair. "You know sometimes I wonder  
>if it could have been avoided. I didn't see it until it was to late, not until I was looking<br>my brother in the eyes. If I had seen it earlier, I might have been able to stop it. Or ..."

_"The people love you, I will never be as loved as you, I can overlook this. You won glory as champion _  
><em>of a proving in your honor, this I can forgive. But I am heir, this is MY birthright, I WILL RULE!" <em>  
><em>Trian yelled mere inches from her blood splattered face.<em>

_"Damn it Trian! Can't you see what is happening, Behlen is playing you false. Playing us both false!" She _  
><em>yelled back. They were standing at the crossroads where the last rendezvous was to be, and where they <em>  
><em>both expected an ambush.<em>

_"Don't try to throw your guilt on my brother, he has always been loyal to me! Unlike you, who defies me _  
><em>at every turn! Now you and your men WILL throw down your weapons and you will be tried for treason by<em>  
><em>the assembly." He barked at her in that same smug tone.<em>

_She sighed and backed away pulling her sword and dagger slowly from their scabbards and held them _  
><em>loosely in her hands. Everyone could see her struggling with the decision and for a brief moment <em>  
><em>they all thought she would surrender.<em>

_She flipped her dagger in her left hand so the hilt faced thumb side, behind her she heard Gorim's _  
><em>boots scrape against the stone. The one thing she could count on from Gorim was his ability to read <em>  
><em>her in the field.<em>

_"I can't do that Trian, you know I can't. We don't need to do this, just back away." Her voice _  
><em>was flat and toneless, it was the sound of a last warning, but she knew, he could no more lay down <em>  
><em>his maul as she could her blades.<em>

_"Then you die here, may the stone reject your unworthy corpse."_

_"Ancestors forgive me." she whispered._

_Moments later she pulled her sword from her brothers body and sank to the ground beside him. Despite _  
><em>a quick end to the battle, she had taken an arrow in the leg. It was nothing that would kill her but <em>  
><em>it did hurt. Gorim and the scout saw to her leg, removing the arrow and bandaging it while Gorim <em>  
><em>gave her the 'this is why you wear real armor' speech. In truth she was glad she decided on leather, <em>  
><em>had she worn her grandmothers battle armor, she may not have been able to dodge Trian's maul. It may <em>  
><em>have been a big weapon, but Trian was strong and could swing it hard and fast.<em>

_They finished bandaging her just in time for her father to walk up and find her kneeling beside _  
><em>her dead brother, Behlen's plan had worked out perfectly. The look they shot each other could have <em>  
><em>melted the very stone around them, but they both knew how the game would end.<em>

_Nahalanee had lost_.

"Why didn't you surrender?" It was a good question, she had asked herself this many times over the  
>last months.<p>

"Dwarven pride." A simple answer. Alistair frowned.

"I had just retrieved the shield, "She pointed at the shield leaning against the wall. "Glory  
>and honor was mine, I couldn't let him have it, no matter what. And thinking of it now, the scout<br>and Frandlin." She frowned as she realizing she had never known the scouts name. "They probably  
>would have attacked anyway. From what I gathered, only one of us was going to leave that place alive.<br>Or maybe he was hoping we would both fall."

"Is glory and honor so important you would kill your own brother for it?" He looked at her, a mixture of  
>shock and disgust on his face.<p>

She stared at him silently for several minutes. Just when he thought she wasn't going to answer  
>she did. "I don't know."<p>

"I thought it was, especially since he changed. We weren't always rivals, I remember when I was just  
>a girl he would sit me on his lap tell me stories of paragons. Caradin's story was one of my favorites,<br>we both used to dream of a day we would have our own army of golems. Even gave me a golem doll,  
>never did learn where he got it. It was made of surface materials." She laughed. "He gave me my first<br>sword." She smiled. "But when I got older he changed, I guess he saw me as a threat to his rule,  
>distanced himself." She went back to her books.<p>

"You dwarves are an interesting race." He said returning to his own book.

She laughed again."Indeed, though I dare say humans are far from normal... Haven."

"Huh?"

Nahalanee stood and climbed onto the table, using the chair as a stepstool. She bent over the map, her  
>nose only a few inches away. Alistair did all he could to keep from laughing as Nahalanee compared<br>a page of the journal to the map they had laid across the table.

For another few moments Alistair just watched as Nahalanee marked the map with a piece of coal  
>then she grinned sitting up "Haven." She said again and pointed at one of the circles she had just<br>placed.

"That's our next stop, I'm not the best with maps of the surface, but I think its in that area."  
>she pushed the journal toward Alistair and sat cross legged on the table letting him read in silence<br>and do his own comparisons, then he nodded. "Indeed, great!" He slammed the book shut. "Then I am  
>going to bed. We should set out tomorrow." She agreed as she climbed off the table as he stood<br>and began to leave.

"Alistair, tomorrow yes?" He nodded, smiled and left. She had promised to go with him to find his  
>long lost sister who lived in Denerim.<p>

She changed into her oversized tunic, put away the journals and scrolls, folded the map and counted  
>the money with a sigh. They had spent to much today, but at least everyone seemed happy with their<br>new toys, even if they were only arms and armor.

She crawled into the bed and buried herself under what seemed like far to many blankets. one thing she  
>hated about the surface, it was always so cold. Several times her companions teased her in camp, she<br>was the only one who used 3 bedrolls and still complained about the cold.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Lets go lets go, times a wasting" she chirped as she threw the last sack on Bodan's wagon. "Everyone  
>ready?" Grunts, grumbles and sighs all around. Only Alistair stayed quiet.<p>

They headed toward their next destination, Leliana and Zevran chatting with each other about their  
>old lives, comparing contracts and techniques, Morrigan berating Alistair about mopping, Alistair's<br>witty tongue flapping insults back. his family reunion hadn't gone as planned and had left him in  
>a rather foul mood.<p>

Sten was grumbling and complaining about all the pointless noise and chatter. Bodan was telling  
>Sandal about all his new purchases and their next trade stop, though Sandal wasn't listening as he<br>was too busy playing with enchant runes.

And Nahalanee taking up the rear watching it all with a big grin. What a group we make, one huge  
>dysfunctional family that would rival any noble house in Orzammar. She had glanced back once to<br>see a man with an oxen pulled cart following them at a distance. She shook her head and sighed.

((( If you noticed I never mentioned Wynn despite the fact I did say earlier I rescued the mages, its  
>because shes dead. She attacked at the top of the tower LOL! Oops oh well..long as I got the mages))<p> 


	5. Warden's Curse ch 5

WARDEN'S CURSE http :/ /shaleene1 .deviantar /gallery/ # /d3glqq9

_The heavy stone doors scrapped loudly against the floor as the guards pushed them closed  
>behind her. She felt Harrowmont's gaze on her but refused to look back at the risk of looking<br>weak or fearful, no she would not give him the satisfaction. She heard the locking mechanisms  
>turn, and as the last of the echos vanished she was left in silence.<em>

_ It was official, she was no longer an Aeducan, a memory, nor even a dwarf, she was an exile. She  
>wondered briefly if perhaps this is how the casteless felt each day. She pictured the shapers<br>inking out her name from the memories and shuddered. She sat down hard on the cold ground  
>as the tears began to well up in her eyes. She did not cry for herself, she cried for Gorim, for her<br>father, for her brother who lay encased in the stone._

_ After awhile she heard the faint cries of darkspawn far off in the tunnels. _Well, if I'm going to  
>die, better sooner then later,<em> <em>she thought as she regained her feet with a heavy sigh.<br>_  
>She walked down the old road until she came to a small tunnel branching off to the left. The<br>echoing cries of the darkspawn seemed louder in that direction. She eyed the cave-in blocking  
>the road and sighed as she turned and headed cautiously down the tunnel.<em>__

_ Unfortunately, the tunnel lacked the luminescent rocks and insects she had become familiar with  
>on the patrols with her brothers. The deeper she went, the darker it became until finally, she was<br>plunged into total darkness. She waved a hand in front of her face, but even that was beyond  
>her field of vision.<em>

Great, a spider could attack me and I wouldn't notice until it's fangs ripped at my face. _The  
>sudden visual made her shudder as she began moving again, slower this time keeping one hand<br>on the wall while her bare feet carefully felt out their next step._

_ She didn't know how long she continued this extremely slow process. Her anxiety was mounting  
>with each passing hour, but she could not, WOULD not let fear take her. No Aeducan would ever<br>fear the darkness, exile or no._

_ Her foot moved forward and stepped down, but instead of contacting stone it continued  
>downwards until she was falling. She closed her eyes and yelled out, jagged rocks tore at her<br>flesh as she tumbled downwards. The air was violently knocked from her lungs as she landed on  
>a flat smooth surface. She lay there for what seemed like a long time catching her breath before<br>opening her eyes and looking around._

Thank the ancestors,_ she thought as she saw the faint glow of light. But that thankfulness  
>was short lived when she realized it was fire, not rock or insect. She sat up quickly scanning the<br>ground for her weapon, she found her sword but failed to locate the shield and she was out of  
>time. She jumped to her feet and faced down the narrow hall as her right foot slid back turning<br>her body sideways._

_ She watched for a very brief moment as the darkspawn flooded down the narrow road toward  
>her.<em> Ancestors give me strength, _she whispered and ran toward the creatures, adding her  
>own battle cry to the mix.<em>

_ Luck was on her side, the old road was indeed narrow, three darkspawn shoulder to shoulder,  
>and her enemy though many, were hurlocks. Close quarter combatants with swords were easier<br>to deal with then those damn arrow flingers, and with their limited brainpower they attacked  
>one or two at a time as they fought each other for space. The sound of steel on steel was almost<br>deafening to her as she fought, bare foot and without armor._

_ She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, she was slowly losing ground and her arms  
>began to ache, the right in particular. She had taken a hit high on her right arm and the large<br>unbalanced hurlock blade she held in her right hand was not making things easier. The battle  
>seemed to go on forever and just when she thought she wouldn't be able to continue, the last of<br>the 'spawn filed toward her and fell._

_ Her weapons clattered loudly to the ground as she dropped on her knees breathing heavily.  
>Relief washed over her as she fell onto her back and stared up at the high ceiling. She lay there<br>for quite some time silently, watching the fire light throw shadows across the stone as the rush  
>of adrenaline subsided and her heartbeat slowed. Her thoughts were interrupted as a vile<br>smelling black smoke began to creep towards her._

Blasted bronto turds,_ she thought bitterly as she struggled to her feet. Many of the torches had  
>landed on the darkspawn carrying them, causing leather and flesh to catch fire and burn. She<br>had to move despite the wariness in her limbs._

_ She grabbed her sword, hesitated, then grabbed one of the hurlocks blades, along with one of  
>the few torches that had landed on the stone instead of its bearer. Had she stopped to think, she<br>might have grabbed a couple more, but the only thought on her mind was getting away before  
>the stench brought more darkspawn to investigate. She spun on her heels and ran down the<br>road, her bare feet slapping the cold stone._

_ She had made many twists and turns before she was forced to stop. Her torch had begun to  
>sputter, threatening to go out soon and leave her in the dark one again. She sighed and sat<br>down hard, leaning against the wall. She took a few moments to check over herself, the cut on  
>her right arm had stopped bleeding at least, but it would no doubt become infected with a lack<br>of water or clean dressings. She used the hem of her prison garb to bind it. She had many other  
>small scrapes from her tumble, but nothing to worry about.<em>

_ As the last of the light from her torch burned out her eyes slipped close, she realized she had not  
>slept since the night before Trian's death. It was a mistake, but her body cried for rest, and<br>weariness won over rationality._

_..._

_ Something touched her left hand and she jumped up painfully biting her bottom lip to keep from  
>yelling out. Her first thought was darkspawn, but it was only a single curious deepstalker baby<br>who had come to investigate the strange sleeping dwarf. It turned and began to scurry off but  
>she quickly cut off its wormy little head.<em>

_ She wasn't about to have it warn the others, and there would be others they never traveled  
>alone. She realized there was dim light surrounding her and looked around, Thank the<br>Ancestors. The tunnel walls and ceilings were covered with glowworms._

_ She moved slowly and quietly, her lack of footwear make her almost completely silent. One  
>deepstalker meant more, and soon she found them picking clean the bones of another<br>unfortunate. She dispatched them and searched the area, YES, she blurted out despite her need  
>to stay silent. She found a dagger hidden between two rocks, and it was dwarven made.<em>

_ She tossed the hurlock blade aside, happy to be rid of it, and continued her exiled trek, tunnel to  
>tunnel, road to road, darkness to bio-luminescence. darkspawn, spiders, deepstalkers, more<br>darkspawn, resting only when she needed and not for very long._

_ She wasn't sure how long she had been down there, usually she was good at time, but the  
>constant battles and thick darkness had turned what could have been only a couple days into<br>years. She was covered head to toe with the filth of the roads, her feet were covered with  
>plundered mismatched leather boots, and her prison garbs were torn and dirty. She was<br>beginning to think she would not find the wardens or a way out of the blasted deep._

_ She stepped out of the tunnel into a huge open cavern lit with the red glow of molten rock from  
>huge chasms. Its immensity would have made Orzammar look like a Dust town hovel. As she was<br>admiring it a deafening roar broke through her thoughts . She spun around to reenter the tunnel,  
>but the rock face was smooth and complete, no hole, not even a crack marred its beautiful face.<em>

_ She slowly turned pressing her back hard against the wall as if expecting the stone to embrace  
>her and hide her, keep her safe from what her eyes had fallen upon. Ahead was an army of<br>darkspawn, swords and crossbows raised. Ogres towering over their brethren, emissaries  
>glowing with their dark magic, and behind them the biggest and most terrible beast she had<br>ever seen._

_ It's wings unfurled as it stretched its long neck upwards. It's huge maw opened showing what  
>looked to be a thousand teeth as dark unnatural flames leapt from its mouth, followed by the<br>most frighting, bone shattering shriek she had ever heard. She fell to her knees and covered her  
>ears, she thought she might have even screamed.<em>

_... ... ... ..._

Zevran sighed as he sat swinging his leg lazily back and forth from the thick tree branch that  
>doubled as his watch post. Nahalanee had asked him once why he chose to sit so high up.<p>

"It is a good place to ambush from, should the need arise. Ample cover from the leaves and  
>branches, and a good vantage point. You can see all the way around camp from there. If you<br>like, I can help you up so that you may see for yourself." He answered her and had laughed  
>when she declined quickly and wandered off as if afraid he might toss her up there anyway. She<br>sat on one of Bodan's cart horses once, she would never even consider climbing a tree.

He stopped swinging his leg and sat up cocking his head to one side and listened, something had  
>stirred in the camp. He silently leapt from his perch and returned to the dieing fire in the center<br>of their camp. The noises were coming from the dwarf's tent. He went over and stuck his head  
>in to see her thrashing and mumbling in her native language. It was obvious her mind was<br>plagued with dreams, and from the looks and sounds, they were none too pleasant.

He crawled into her tent, knelt at her feet and gently shook her calling to her in a low tone as to  
>not wake anyone else in camp. Last thing he needed was Alistair, or worse Sten, waking and<br>seeing the assassin hovering over their sleeping leader.

... ... ... ...

_When she was finally able to open her eyes she looked up saw the army of darkspawn start  
>running toward her. The huge dragon screeched again and took flight swooping over the black<br>horde. She stood and ran. The sounds of metal boots and growling darkspawn were closing in on  
>her from behind, she ran as fast as her feet would go.<em>

_ She came to the edge of the stone, skidding to a halt barely keeping herself from going over. Far  
>below her was nothing but a river of hot molten rock, behind her the darkspawn. She turned,<br>pulled her weapons, and stood. the giant dragon beast dove toward her, she swung her sword at  
>the huge talon but it snatched her up, a large claw burying itself in her stomach. She screamed<br>out in pain as her weapons fell from her hands. The talon opened again, the claw wrenched itself  
>loose and she was falling. She closed her eyes, but she could still feel the searing heat as the<br>molten rock quickly rose to greet her._

_... ... ..._

Something touched her arm and she sat up her left hand flying up and over her shoulder, her  
>right hand went to her hip, both searching for weapons that weren't there.. Her breathing came<br>in quick ragged bursts that burned her lungs. _A dream just a dream _"...Warden, it's just a  
>dream." She heard a voice calling to her.<p>

_ Just a dream_. Her mind said, but it was so real, she could feel the dragons grip, feel the heat  
>from the molten rock burning her skin. She looked down as she raised her tunic enough to<br>examine her stomach. Her hands and eyes searched for a hole, blood, something. There was  
>nothing there but smooth pale skin, she shuddered.<p>

As her mind searched for something to grasp, her head turned left to right and back again  
>looking but not seeing. Her hands stayed pressed against her stomach as her thoughts tried to<br>wrap around reality. She did the first thing she could think of.

She lunged forward and grabbed Zevran, her arms sliding under his and around his back hugging  
>him almost painfully as her mouth covered his. Just a dream, her mind said again. But he is real,<br>I'm awake, this it real. After a brief moment she pulled away and looked up into the face of a  
>stunned and rather amused assassin.<p>

"I'm... Oh stone take me, I'm sorry." She whispered as her pale faced turn a deep shade of red.  
><em>Awake for less than a minute and already making an ass out of yourself,<em> she thought as she  
>began to move away from him. His hand shot out and grabbed her arm pulling her back against<br>him.

"There is no need to apologize my dear warden," he purred as his hands slid under the hem of  
>her tunic and around her waist. His touch sent shivers up her spine as he leaned in and kissed<br>her briefly before she could react.

Oh yeah, this is most definitely real. Her mind mused as she looked up into the elf's face and  
>giggled despite herself. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her as his fingers danced across her<br>back sending another wave of shivers through her body.

"I'll tell you later." She said in a soft tone and slid her arms around his neck, their lips met again  
>and her last coherent thought was,<em> it's going to be a good night after all.<em>


	6. HAVEN Ch 6

_**Chapter 6 - HAVEN**_

"Hold there low-lander, you've no business in Haven, leave."

Nahalanee gave the man a warm smile. "I'm sorry, we were just looking. I never knew there was a  
>village up here. How long has it been here?"<p>

"Haven's always been here, we just don't take kindly to outsiders poking around, leave."

"Can you tell me a bit about the village?"

"I'll tell you we don't like low-landers poking around, leave." This was going no where quickly.

"Fine, fine." she huffed.

"You can do your trading at the shop but then..."

She waved her hand impatiently cutting him off, "Leave, yes yes I got that part thank you."

"Ah, quiet, insular communities. There's always something nasty going on behind closed doors. I hope  
>it involves chains." Zevran murmured in a low voice then added with a shrug, "I hope they ask me to<br>join in."

"They are indeed hiding something." Morrigan added.

Nahalanee shook her head. "I'm sure Bodan has a few chains in his cart if your really that interested. "

"Ah yes, perhaps I should ask him about it, no?" Zevran replied with a grin.

They began walking up the hill toward the shop when Sten stopped her.

"Interesting strategy. Tell me; Do you intend to keep going north until it becomes south, and attack the archdemon  
>from the rear?"<p>

"It'll never see it coming." She replied warily. Oh how she was tired of arguing with Sten. Always with the archdemon.

"Truly. It would surprise me if my enemy counter-attacked by running away and climbing a mountain."

"Don't argue with me right now, Sten please?"

"Oh, are we in some hurry? I ask your pardon, then. It seemed to me as though we were in the midst of  
>aimlessly climbing a mountain in the middle of nowhere to find the charred remains of a dead woman<br>on some frivolous whim of yours." She was surprised he hadn't needed to pause for a breath.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "What then, Sten?"

"I will not simply follow in your shadow as you run from battle." He said looming over her dangerously.

Despite her better judgment she stepped right up to him head tilted so far back it looked as if she might  
>topple over. Had this been any other moment, a four and a half foot dwarf trying to stare down a seven<br>and a half foot giant would have been amusing. She took a deep breath and in her most authoritative  
>and intimidating voice she yelled up at Sten.<p>

"You want to fight the entire army of the darkspawn on your own go ahead, but without a damn army at  
>my back I will go far in getting not only the last of the Fereldan Grey Wardens but all the rest of you<br>killed, and then what answers will your precious Qun get? And another thing, your not helping with all  
>this whining and complaining about how I need to fight the blight. I WILL defeat the Arch demon, I<br>WILL fight back the horde, and I WILL stop this blight with or without you! And I am NOT running  
>away like some scared little human child! Now either shut your mouth or draw your blade because I am<br>DONE arguing with you!"

She stood there defiant, her eyes blazing up at him, taunting him, daring him to continue the  
>argument...<p>

In her mind she was picturing him raising one huge foot and squashing her her like a tiny insignificant  
>bug. She wondered briefly if it would hurt when it happened.<p>

"Then turn and fight, you keep the darkspawn waiting." He turned and walked back the way they had  
>come. She could only assume he was going back to their camp where they left Leliana and Bodan, or<br>leaving for good. At that moment she didn't really care which.

She didn't realize how tense she was until she exhaled and shuddered. Morrigan grasped her right arm  
>to steady her, she wasn't going to collapse but she didn't mind the extra support either.<p>

"Impressive" Morrigan whispered to the dwarf and then continued up the hill toward the shop.

Alistair and Zevran followed Morrigan leaving Nahalanee standing there regaining her composure. Not  
>since her exiled trek through the deep roads had she felt death so close at hand, only this time it was<br>literally staring down in her face.

She started following then noticed a young child who had been watching them turn and begin to chant  
>some odd rhyme.<p>

"Come come Bonny Lynne; tell us tell us where you've been."

"Hi there." She said to the kid slowly approaching him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Nahalanee, a Grey warden. Do you know what that is?"

"No, don't care either you shouldn't be in haven." He turned and began chanting again.

"Hey boy." she said to get his attention again, the boy turned back.

"What are you looking at?" He asked her as she leaned down slightly to look him in the eye.

"You're are a very clever boy, I bet you know a lot of things about haven." She said in a secretive sing-song  
>tone giving a little wink. It was the same strategy she used to use to get secrets out of Bhelen<br>when they were younger.

"Haven is haven, but I have a secret. Do you want to see?"

"Yes, show me whats the secret."

The boy dipped a small hand into his pocket, pulled it out and opened it, showing her a finger-bone.

She raised an eyebrow and made a sour face, "Who did that belong to?"

"Don't know, found it over by the mountain, its lucky to me though so don't tell anyone all right?"

"All right I won't, can you tell me where everyone in the rest of the village is?"

"In the chantry, I hate it up there I can't wait until I can go..."

"Go where?"

"You shouldn't be in haven." He turned playing with his finger-bone.

This time she let him go back to chanting his odd little rhyme. She was beginning to think this was a  
>bad idea as she hurried up the hill to join her companions in the shop.<p>

"You're not from haven." The merchant behind the counter said when she entered the shop.

"Why do you all tell me that like I don't already know it?" She said with an exaggerated sigh. Morrigan  
>handled the trading, Alistair handled the questions, Zevran handled the laughs, and Nahalanee handled<br>the locked chest in the backroom, the one that sat next to a dead Redcliff knight.  
>They left the shop and she told them in a hushed tone of the dead man in the back as they walked up<br>the hill to the chantry. Once they got there they stopped and listened for a brief moment. "We are  
>blessed beyond measure; we are the chosen by the holy and beloved to be her guardians." Nahalanee<br>shook her head and entered the chantry.

"Lift up your voices, and despair not, for she will raise Her faithful servants to glory when Her-" The  
>mans sermon was cut short when the four new comers walked up and joined the crowd.<p>

The people backed up and parted the way when they noticed the scowl on the preaching mans face.

"Please don't stop the sermon for us, continue." Nahalanee's voice took on a slightly amused tone .

"That is all for today brothers and sisters, we have guests. The rest will have to wait." He ushered his  
>flock out the door and turned his attention to the dwarf.<p>

"You didn't have to stop." She repeated.

"It is better this way, Many of the villagers are uncomfortable in the presence of... strangers."

Zevran gave a rather exasperated sigh and rubbed his temples with his left hand. "How nightmarish to  
>live in such a rural village, the only entertainment being priests who go on and on about the chant of<br>this and that."

Nahalanee looked back at him just in time to see him drop his hand and start making wild gestures as  
>he continued.<p>

"Just once I'd like to walk into one of these places and discover a lively dance, or a drinking festival.  
>Or an orgy. But alas, no." He dropped his hands and sighed, louder this time.<p>

Nahalanee shook her head and dropped her face in her hand to angry to speak, or so it looked.. In truth  
>she was trying her hardest to get rid of the smile that suddenly crossed her lips and trying not to laugh..<br>To laugh now would be to turn the tables in the wrong direction, fast. Not that that's where it was  
>headed already.<p>

After a long moment she raised her head and stared at the man. "I'm looking for the urn of sacred  
>ashes. I have it on good authority it's here."<p>

"You come all this way chasing a myth? You will not find it in haven. We are simple people who enjoy  
>the pleasures.." She waved her hand once again, cutting the man off. Her patience with this place was<br>beginning to wear very thin.

"Then where is brother Genitivi." his face turned sour and he sighed, beginning to pace. Her right foot  
>slid back slightly and she turned her body sideways. Behind her she heard the slight movements of<br>those who followed her. She smiled inwards.

"You see, this is why we do not like...'visitors.' They are not like us, they will do us harm if we let  
>them." She tilted her head slightly and looked out the corner of her eye, behind her companions several<br>men dressed in splint mail began to advance.

He continued pacing and looking at the ground."We cannot let you bring others..."He was rudely cut  
>off when one of his guards gave a loud gurgled grunt. His head popped up and he shot a glance back<br>toward the noise.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?" Zevran quipped, giving a very apologetic look and tilting his head  
>curiously to one side, raising an eyebrow. The sincerity of his words and face were almost enough to<br>make Nahalanee laugh. "Please continue, father." Zevran said as he pulled his dagger from the guards  
>neck. The man slumped to the floor with a loud thud.<p>

Battle ensued, Nahalanee was hit by a winters-grasp before she could finish pulling her weapons.  
>Instead of panic however, she felt pure annoyance as she thought, <em>I really, really hate the ice and snow.<em>

She took a couple good hits, one to her side and one to her leg before the battle was over. She re-sheathed  
>her weapons and bent over putting her hands on her knees taking several deep breaths. It hurt.<p>

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked.

"Fine fine, just give me a minute."

She stood and touched her left side with her right hand, and pulled it away, it was covered and dripping  
>with blood. "Damn it." She said in a flat tone as she glared at her hand with disgust and anger.<p>

She sat down hard on on the floor. "Ok, maybe I need a bandage." Morrigan knelt beside her and  
>helped her lay carefully on her back. "Pay more attention in battle." She said and chanted her spells,<br>her hands began glowing blue as she placed them on Nahalanee's wounds.

"OUCH!" she yelped

"Baby." Morrigan said and went back to her spell craft.

"It's Zevran's fault." She said looking up at the Antivan who was standing over her.

"Oh, and how is it my fault, my dear warden."

"I'm sorry, you were saying? You distracted me. OUCH!" She shot a glare at Morrigan.

"Stop moving." Morrigan mumbled.

"Well it is rude to interrupt you know." Alistair of course had to get in a word.

"Indeed, my friend. He was in the middle of a lovely speech on how he was going to kill us. I did not  
>want him to stop until he reached the climax. It was most intriguing."<p>

Nahalanee shook her head and laughed, then yelped again. "Damn it Morrigan, that hurt!"

"I told you to stop moving." She pressed her hands harder on Nahalanee's wounds.

"There, try NOT to walk into anyone elses blades today." Morrigan sighed slightly drained, as she  
>stood. Zevran helped Nahalanee to her feet.<p>

"Thanks" she said to Morrigan. And examined her armor, she could see her freshly healed skin through  
>the large slit in the leather. "Great,"she growled.<p>

"Let us put another one on the other side, even it out." Zevran said as he ran his fingers across the  
>opening. She grinned and slapped his hand away.<p>

"Lets just find brother Genitivi, or the urn, or SOMETHING and get the hell out of here. I've had  
>enough of cold mountains and snow." She grumbled. It was going to be a long, cold day.<p> 


	7. Back at Camp ch 7

So I lost my beta readers. This is a rough one and short. Not that anyone actually reads this but here it is..

Back At Camp chapter 7

.. .. .. .. ..

She sat as close to the fire as she dared wrapped in a thick bear skin, turning the pendant over and over  
>in her hands. They were camped a few miles outside Haven, it had taken nearly a full day to wind their<br>way through the mountain halls, and by the time they reached the urn of sacred ashes the sun had sunk  
>below the horizon.<p>

_ You allowed yourself to be manipulated by Bhelen, and you murdered your elder brother, Trian. Do you  
>think you failed Trian?<em>

The question had been so awkward and unexpected she had blurted out yes before she could stop  
>herself. In truth, she hadn't thought about it in weeks.<p>

She flipped the amulet over and stared at Trian's smiling face as it wavered and flickered on the  
>pendant.<p>

_You allowed bhelen to make you his lackey. Are you proud of what you've done?_

_You are not my brother, I don't have to answer you._

_I am the brother you remember, the one you have seen in your dreams these past months. My sister, I  
>know you are haunted by shame and regret, let the past stay in the past. Take this, and use it well. I give<br>you this... and my blessing. Remember me._

She knew it was magic, she knew Trian was encased in the stone and that his spirit had joined the  
>ancestors, but that still didn't stop her from smiling at the illusion. It was nice to see him smile again,<br>even if it wasn't real.

"I still can't believe you didn't take the deal with Kolgrim, his men would truly have been powerful  
>allies." Zevran said as he sat down on the fallen log beside her, his back toward the fire.<p>

"It wasn't my place."

"No? It was you he asked, does it not make it your choice?"

She grinned. "I pray to the ancestors, not some dead woman in a jar who heard voices." she wrapped  
>her fingers around the pendant and looked up at Zevran.<p>

"What does this have to do with Kolgrim's request?" He frowned.

"Well, I was standing there thinking, EEW dead burnt woman in a jug! But then I thought, how would  
>I feel if some maker shrieking zealot came into Orzammar and poured dragon blood over the... what<br>did you call it?... Shrine? Desecrating the very stone we leave bare to accept the prayers of my people. "

She shook her head and looked down at the chain snaking from her fist. "To me it was as Sten says,  
>nothing more then the charred remnants of a dead woman. But to people like to Ali and Lel, its more.<br>Who am I to desecrate something they hold as dear to them as the Ancestors are to me."

She looked over at Sten as he crawled into his tent and shivered. She was glad he was still at camp, and  
>even more so that he had not lopped her head off when they returned.<p>

"You are far to rational sometimes my dear warden. And what is this?" He nodded toward her hand.

She opened her hand, the small silver pendant bared the chantry symbol on the exposed side. "It's  
>magic, or something. It shows me Trian's face sometimes. It's interesting, but most magic is." She held<br>the chain up letting the pendant dangle in-front of her face. She watched the fire dance on the smooth  
>surface and she smiled.<p>

The pendant was simple, but made of the purest silver she had seen since she left Orzammar and could  
>not deny the beauty of it, magic or not. The way the light flicked and danced on its surface made her a<br>little homesick.

"You do not miss your brother? I figured that was why you have been staring at that necklace so long."  
>She heard Leliana ask from across the fire causing the dwarf to smile.<p>

"Sure, a little. But I came to terms with his death awhile ago. No, the necklace reminds me of home.  
>Metals from the stone melted down to their purest form, before the smiths took it to forge." The bard<br>frowned but asked no more questions.

"Well my dear warden, everyone seems to be turning in, and since we are doubling up on the watch  
>tonight perhaps we should go take our posts. First watch, yes?" Zevran stood and glanced at<br>Nahalanee who was still staring at the pendant.

"I have first watch with Morrigan tonight." She said without any real thought. They had indeed thought  
>it a good idea to double the watch. They expected no more trouble from Haven survivors, if there were<br>any survivors left. But they did not want to take any chances.

She felt his hand tangle in her hair and pull, forcing her to tilt her head up and back to meet his gaze as  
>he loomed over her. "Oh? Such a shame. And here I was thinking we could find new ways to keep<br>each other entertained. But alas..." He sighed overly dramatic letting go of her hair as she gave a little  
>shiver..<p>

She blinked and dropped the pendant into her other hand "Wait.. what?" she replayed the last few  
>seconds in her head and realized what just happened.<p>

Zevran laughed when she finally grasped the situation and he strolled off toward the edge of camp.  
>"Lel, tell Morrigan she is off the hook for first watch will you, please? Thanks!" Nahalanee said as she<br>jumped up. Grabbing her daggers and bow, she hurried after the smirking Antivan. "Wait up!"

Leliana only laughed and shook her head.


	8. A Brief Stop Ch 8

**A Brief Stop Chapter 8 **(For lack of a better title) Its kinda crappy but I got stuck. soo whatever

... ... ... ... ... ...

The humans had been bickering between themselves since the arl woke from his poison induced coma.  
>She barely heard a word they had spoken though as her thoughts were elsewhere. Human dealings<br>didn't concern her, her thoughts were on the darkspawn.

"I think we need to consider putting Alistair forward as heir" This jarred her from her thoughts and she  
>looked at the Arl.<p>

"Alistair as king? Truly? Why not hand Fereldan to the darkspawn now." Nahalanee couldn't help but  
>chuckle at Morrigan's words, always the charmer she thought to herself.<p>

Alistair and the arl began arguing over his decision, Nahalanee began to tune it out but once again the  
>Arl's word caught her ear.<p>

"...and since we are going to put him forth as heir, I think it wise he stay at the castle with myself and  
>the Bann. We cannot risk..."<p>

Alistair and Nahalanee both cut in together  
>"Andraste's ass I will!"<br>"Ancestors great hairy arses he will!"

They looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. They couldn't help it.

"We cannot risk losing him. He is vital to our plans."

"You plans be damned, I don't care if you put a bronto on the throne, but Alistair is a Grey Warden,  
>and until the blight is over he will remain a Grey warden."<p>

"We need him to unite the armies. He is of Therin blood, without him there will be civil war and no  
>army to fight the darkspawn."<p>

"If all we needed was him, what the hell did I waste my time curing you for?"

From behind her she heard Sten mumble something that sounded like an agreement.

"Listen Warden.." Teagan started but Nahalanee waved a hand silencing him.

"No you listen, human. I'll not leave Alistair here to be coddled like some mushroom growers  
>dimwitted wife. You're right Fereldan does needs Alistair, but they need him as a Warden not some<br>coddled little bastard prince." She was all but yelling by this time.

The sound of plate clad footfalls as Ser Perth and several guards entered the room behind them was not  
>lost on her, but she kept glaring at the men before her.<p>

"He stays with me, and he will be a better king for it, IF that is what HE wants." everyone fell silent  
>v and the tension in the room was growing. Finally she sighed. "We leave first thing in the morning for<br>Orzammar." She turned and left the room before anyone could say another word. They had planned on  
>a day or two to resupply and rest, but she quickly decided not to give them the opportunity to argue<br>further.

She shook her head as she entered her room, humans.

–  
>"Come on my prince, we are going to be late!" She grinned as she watched Alistair run up.<p>

"sorry Eamon wanted to talk me out of leaving, and don't call me that!" He sighed and looked around.  
>"Where is Bodan?"<p>

"He said he wanted to return to Denerim to do some trading and will meet up with us near the brecilian  
>forest in a couple weeks. He had no desire to return to Orzammar in fear of losing his head." She<br>laughed without humor. She knew all to well the dangers of returning to Orzammar for the both of  
>them and had fully understood why he didn't want to return.<p>

"I had Sandal do a little work on your blade and shield, they are over there." She pointed at his gear  
>and went to double checking her own pack.<p>

Alistair picked up the blade and smiled as he slid his fingers over the runes, he could feel a warmth  
>radiating from several of them while others felt cool.<p>

"Fire and ice." Nahalanee mumbled as she saw the questioning look on his face. "Trust me you will  
>like it. Now lets go, your majesty." She grinned as she saw the sour look cross his face.<p>

"Alistair, Morrigan, Trian, your with me. Sten, Lel and Zev you guys watch our arses." She said as  
>she shouldered her pack. She always kept them in two separate groups, never out of sight but never to<br>close.

"Oh to be sure, my dear warden." Zevran purred behind her. She stumbled over a rock and blushed  
>slightly, then shook her head as they walked down the road. Sometimes she hated that elf.<p> 


	9. Golem's are useful! chapter 9

EDIT: Revised, chapter split into two... SORRY :P Shale gets a slightly bigger part in this one.

...~*~...

"So your really one of the old dwarf defense golems huh?"

"One would think so." Shale responded in a rather unenthusiastic tone.

They had taken over two weeks to reach Orzammar from Redcliff, Nahalanee had insisted on a detour that lead them to the small village of Honnleath.

...~*~...

_A week and a half ago..._

"_I demand we collect the golem! Do you know the kind of destruction a golem can do to the darkspawn? We need it!" Nahalanee whined._

"_I say we give her the golem. It makes her happy, and I am sure a happy warden is much better at camp then an angry pouting warden, no?" Zevran teased as Nahalanee shot him a glare._

_No, we have wasted enough time, we must finish massing this army of yours. This blight will not wait for such idle childhood fantasies such as owning your own pet rock." Morrigan argued._

"_I agree, there is no point in turning around now." Sten._

"_It's not a PET it's a golem! A REAL GOLEM! They were created for just this purpose. I mean come on how can you not see the potential!" She threw her hands up in the air._

"_No. You always find a way to delay your return to Orzammar. You will have to face your past sooner or later child." Morrigan said._

"_I am not a child." Grumbled_

"_Then stop acting like one!" Morrigan said exasperated._

"_I'm not! And I'm not trying to delay our arrival at Orzammar I just think having a golem would be useful. They are like ten.. no FIFTEEN dwarven berserkers all in one!"_

"_No." Both Morrigan and Sten said at the same time. Behind her she could hear Leliana and Zevran snickering._

"_Ok, if we don't go, then blight take you all! I refuse to continue fighting without the golem!"_

_"Really Nahalanee, we have been arguing this for two days..."Alistair started to say._

_"Exactly!" she cut him off. "And I will CONTINUE to argue until you turn your bronto loving arses around and go to hunleef!" _

"_Honnleath, my dear warden." Zevran winked._

"_whatever! I DEMAND..."_

_"If it will shut her up, I say we turn around and go. I cannot listen to this one more day without wanting to cut her head off." Sten said exasperated._

"_FINE!" Morrigan yelled and spun on her heels._

_The noise that came from Nahalanee closely resembled that of a squealing nug._

_It took them an extra three days but there she was, control rod in hand and a frozen golem in front of her._

"_What are you waiting for, wake it up." Leliana urged her._

"_Dulen Harn " She said and watched excitedly as the golem began to twitch and creak. She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle another one of her nug squeaks._

"_Ugh, I was just getting used to the quiet." The golem said and looked down at the dwarf before it. "And it are much smaller then my last master. At least it is not a mage."  
><em>

_Nahalanee blinked. "It?"_

"_It, it woke me with the control rod, it is a dwarf, yes?"_

_"ME? I'm not an it!" Not the best retort, but she had never met a golem so snarky which just utterly flummoxed her. Not that she had met many anyway, Orzammar had only a few._

"_It has awakened me for a reason I am sure?" _

"_Ummm errm.. yeah. You're... Not what I expected you know." Nahalanee raised an eyebrow._

"_Indeed, what did it expect? A docile work horse perhaps, someone to carry it and it's belongings around Ferelden? … Don't even think about it." The golem noticed Nahalanee's lips curl in a grin at the last suggestion._

"_So, you will do whatever I say?" _

"_It has my control rod doesn't it?" The golem sounded confused._

"_Umm yeah, right here." She held up the rod for the golems inspection._

"_I see it but, quick order me to do something."_

"_Ummm.."She looked around and grinned as her eyes fell on Zevran. "Give Zevran a hug." She pointed at the Antivan._

"_NO! No thank you!I uhh.. NO!" The elf said, his voice an octave higher then usual. Nahalanee grinned as she had finally found a way to make the Antivan falter._

"_It orders me, and yet, I do not feel inclined to do so."_

_Nahalanee looked the rod in her hand. "So it's broken. Can I fix it?" _

"_I do not know. But it did awaken me for a reason, so I ask again. What did it intend to do with me?"_

_"Oh, to stomp darkspawn! And bandits, and assassins, and maybe a few spiders." Nahalanee grinned ear to ear._

_"Darkspawn, those vile creatures that destroyed this village? They are an enemy worthy of death." The golem said, or snarled, can golems snarl? Well, Nahalanee thought, this one sure could!_

"_So you will help us?"_

_"I will come with it for a time."_

_Nahalanee gave out an almost ear piercing squeal and she heard Leliana and Alistair laughing behind her._

"_This will be great!" Nahalanee said as they made their way out of the village. _

"_So what's your name? Do you have a name?"_

"_My name is Shale."_

"_My name is Nahalanee. Is Shale a name or what your made of?"_

_"Would you prefer pebbles, or rubble?" The golem snorted and scurried off to the left. Nahalanee only had a brief moment to wonder what the golem was doing before she got her answer._

_Shale had run up to a chicken and stomped on it, crushing it beneath it's big stone foot.. Nahalanee's jaw dropped and the golem shrugged. It took almost five minutes for all the laughter to die down. She was even sure Sten had grunted a chuckle of some sort._

"_I take it you don't like chickens?" Nahalanee asked as they continued on their way._

"_Damnable feathered fiends! Always using me as a perch, and UGH the mess they left behind! The villagers thought it was quint, QUINT! At least there was someone kind enough to scrub me down now and again. UGH!"_

"_Why are you so short?"_

_Alistair shook his head, this was going to be a long trip to Orzammar._

_...~*~..._

"Does it hurt when you get hit?"

"Of course not, I am not squishy like it."

"Do you sleep?"

"No I do not."

"Have you ever..."

"Does it EVER shut up! It has been asking me these questions since it activated me!" Shale nearly yelled causing Nahalanee to flinch. "I daresay I miss the silence of being frozen in place!"

"Sure she does, I know many ways to shut her up but alas, I doubt she would let me perform them in public." Zevran piped in from behind them

Nahalanee turned and glared at him her cheeks turning a deep red. She walked in silence for several more minutes, concentrating on the road ahead of her but eventually her curiosity got the best of her yet again.

"whats with the gems? Do they do anything?" 

"Indeed they do."

"What do they do?"

"Oh many things, some enhance spells, some mana. Some are for elemental attacks. Wilhelm experimented with many different gems, I think he..."

"we're here." Alistair said from behind them cutting of shale.

Nahalanee looked up, just ahead of them was the entrance to Orzammar. She stopped in the center of what looked like a makeshift market, many different merchants were standing around trading and chatting about this and that.


	10. Buried In Memories Chapter 10

Takes place literally after chp 9.. :P

..*~*..

"we're here." Alistair said from behind them cutting of shale.

Nahalanee looked up, just ahead of them was the entrance to Orzammar. She stopped in the center of what looked like a makeshift market, many different merchants were standing around trading and chatting about this and that.

She stood there for a long time and when it was apparent she was not in a hurry to enter, most of her party dispersed, heading to the merchants to trade or find out information that might be vital. Alistair was the only one to stay behind. He approached the dwarf and frowned. The look on her face was not the one he was expecting. He had expected sadness, or anger, not confused wonder.

"Its... small!" She said in a low voice as she stared up and the mountain.

"What is?" Alistair now confused himself.

"the mountain, goofy! What else would I talk about."

Alistair turned and looked up at the peak before them. "Umm." he was at a loss for words.. A mountain small?

Nahalanee catching the confusion just laughed. "When we get inside, you will see." She had never seen the outside of Orzammar, never realized the true scale of her home before. No way this one small peak harbored the whole of the city.

"Ali?"

"Hmm?"

"You know there is a chance I will die here, either at the door or in my sleep. I am not welcome here. Warden or not."

Alistair nodded, he had been worried about it too. "We won't let that happen, can't let my sister die now can we. Are you Ok?"

Nahalanee smiled, a forced smile that didn't reach her eyes but she nodded. "I'm fine. Lets go." She grabbed Alistair by the arm and pulled him along toward the heavy iron doors.

"I said no, human! Until the throne is settled NONE will enter. I don't care who you claim to be!"They heard the gate captain yell.

Nahalanee froze for a second at the guards words then approached. "Settle the throne?" She blurted out.

"The king is dead and the Assembly is deadlo... Exile?"

Nahalanee ignored the name. "Then it is true, my father is dead?"

"That is right, kinslayer."

"Kinslayer? Oh your not getting in." The human that had been arguing with the guard chimed in and she heard Alistair suck in his breath behind her.

"If you value your ability to speak I suggest you watch your tongue, human lest I rip it out of your head."

The guard chuckled, he remembered the fire in the Aeducan princess and was almost glad to see it had not been dampened.

Nahalanee turned back to the guard. "I need to speak with the Assembly, there is a blight and I require the aid of our... your armies." She held out a scroll for the guard.

The guard took the scroll and read over it, then nodded. "This treaty is legitimate, but I am afraid you will not find much help here until the throne is settled you know that, Warden." The guard handed back the scroll, Nahalanee was relieved to hear him call her warden instead of exile.

"I have to try anyway. You know as well as I do, this is NOT just a surface problem."

"Wait no!" The forgotten human chimed in again. " The wardens killed the king, and she is an exile you said it yourself! She is a kinslayer, I demand her head! I will not..."

He was so wrapped up in yelling at the guard he was unaware of Nahalanee's movements until a blade materialized in the small gap between the armor under his arm. He looked down at the blade then at Nahalanee with a look of utter disbelief.

"I TOLD you not to call me that, human." Nahalanee growled and pushed the blade upwards as far as she could, the height difference making it a rather odd and almost comical looking gesture.

She pulled the blade out of the mans side as he slumped to the ground and Nahalanee could only smirk as he died with a stupid confused grin on his face. As the other two humans that had accompanied the speaker moved, the assassin materialized behind them had only a second to feel the blades slide into the back of their necks.

"really warden, you should not pick fights without me. I cannot bear to think you having all the fun and leaving none for me." The blades made a wet sickly sound as the bodies fell to the ground dislodging the blades. "And I do love to watch when you get that fire in your eyes." He winked as he wiped his blades clean.

Nahalanee chuckled as she wiped her own blade and turned back to the guard who was just watching, a slight amused grin on his face.

"sorry." She mumbled.

"You have not changed one bit lady Warden. You and your companions are free to enter Orzammar." He stepped aside as the grand iron gates were pushed open by several dwarven guards.

"Thank you, Grimmol." she bowed slightly to the man and entered, the smell of stone and steel hit her like a hammer and she couldn't help but smile.

"Now I know why you thought the mountain was small." Alistair gasped as he looked around. "this place is.._ huge!_" He leaned over the thick stone barrier and stared down into the never ending pool of molten rock. Nahalanee had a brief image of the man tumbling over.

"Alistair come here." She waited for him to rejoin." Ok I need to go … make some inquiries. Diamond quarter, is that way." She pointed to her right. "Dust town is that way, don't go there especially YOU Zev. And the proving is across the bridge ahead. Don't bother with that either. Don't get to lost and try not to get killed."

She ran off before any of them could say a word leaving her companions staring at each other in confusion.

Nahalanee ran to the diamond quarter then began to walk as she took in the sights of her old home. Of course nothing had changed, but that didn't stop the homesickness she suddenly felt welling up inside her.

"Nahalanee?" She heard a voice say from behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned.

Nerav Helmi?" She raised an eyebrow as she stared at the noble who had called her.

"Nahalanee! Your alive, we all thought you dead! How did you survive?" The woman grabbed Nahalanee and hugged her, she hugged the woman back.

"Ran into the Grey Wardens in the deep roads, they rescued me and recruited me. Now I'm here to ask for the army with my Senior grey warden. How have you been?" She knew the answer was vague and perhaps a little rude.

"I've been Ok I miss your brother, and I've been staying home a lot. Since your father died it has not been safe around here." She sighed softly and slowly began to walk. Nahalanee kept pace.

"So tell me, whats been going on? I heard something about Harrowmont trying to take the throne?"

She walked with Lady Helmi up to her estate listening to the news, the rumors surrounding her exile and Trian's death. Rumors from both sides about her father died, the deadlocked Assembly and the deshyrs. Then they went onto lighter news, Helmi told her about the new babe born in house helmi, Nahalanee told her about the surface.

"Is it true, there is no caste up there?"

"It's true, there are poor and nobles, but they are all men. I wouldn't say it's equal, they treat elves badly, but I think even they have it better then the dusters."

"And..." she hesitated.

"What?"

"Do you really fall into the sky if you lose your stone sense?" Nahalanee laughed despite herself.

"No, if that was the case there would be no dwarves on the surface. Most of them have forgotten their ancestors and worship the human god the maker because some woman named andersay or something heard voices." Oh how she hated saying human names sometimes. "But no you don't really fall into the sky although I have to admit it made me nauseous for awhile. Everything up there so big and, open! And yet their houses are so small. It's strange." She thought a moment. "And they don't have paragons."

"Really? How can they not have paragons?" She shook her head.

"Don't know, just a woman they call a prophet who swears she heard a voice telling her magic is bad. And that everyone should worship some god they have never seen, and who apparently abandoned them." She laughed. She knew it was a bad and confusing explanation but an accurate one none the less.

They reached the Helmi estate and Nerav turned to Nahalanee."Well I hope you support Harrowmont, your father saw that Bhelen would be a bad ruler."

"You know the Assembly wanted me to rule at one point." She said with a small smile. It was true though she had spoken with Duncan about her being a Warden. Funny how things work out.

"And I am sure many regret their decision to exile you. Good luck Nahalanee, I am going to lock myself in until the streets are safe." They hugged again and parted ways.

Nahalanee smiled as she hurried to the shaperate. She had some questions that needed answering before she hunted down her companions, and if anyone had the information she needed, it was the Lord Shaper.

"When I last walked this hall, Endrin was king and Orzammar was at peace. The memories often speak of the swiftness with which change overtakes us, but it is different to see it first hand." Czibor mumbled then straightened up. "Forgive me, Warden. I should not burden a stranger with such thoughts. I am Czibor, the Shaper of memories."

Nahalanee frowned. "I am no stranger to Orzammar my Lord shaper." She said in a low voice. He had called her stranger, the man who she would run to for old stories all the time as a youngen.

"Your exile is written in the Memories, Warden. I am sorry, but Orzammar cannot be your home, nor I your shaper... We must obey the ancestors rules." Czibor responded, a slight sadness in his eyes as he did.

Nahalanee stood a moment regaining her thoughts, those words had hurt more then she would have expected. But he was right, the ancestors' demanded she be forgotten.

"Lord Shaper, I have come to speak to you about this deadlock. My senior Warden and I must acquire the armies for a blight." She showed the shaper the treaty, he nodded.

They spoke a great length about several things, mostly the Assembly, the battle for the throne, she even found out her brother Bhelen was going to marry a castless. This shocked even her. And she had established that Alistair was the leader of her rag tag group. Better they think he led while in Orzammar, she thought.

She was about to dismiss herself when she heard the heavy stone feet of a golem behind her and she turned with a smile. "Shale. What are you doing here?"

That warden Alistair demanded we find it. It has been gone to long apparently." Shale grumbled.

"This golem is yours?" The shaper asked.

"I hold it's control rod yes, but Shale is special.. It is it's own."

"Indeed." The golem chimed in.

"It's small for a golem but it is definitely one of the old war golems." The shaper was very interested in shale and began circling it.

"Does it always speak about others when they are standing right in front of it?"Shale said a little annoyed at the old dwarf.

"we would pay a hefty sum for this golem. We are always in need." He seemed to not hear Shale, or simply ignore it.

"I'd sooner jump int of pit of lava." Shale said causing Nahalanee to giggle.

"See? I told you. Shale is one of a kind. Are any of our golems so... weird?"

The shaper smiled. "No. And it's unfortunate it won't stay. Oh well.. was there anything else?"

"No my lord shaper, I should return to my Senior Warden before he has all of Orzammar looking for me."

The shaper nodded, smiled and turned back to his book. Nahalanee and shale left.

"It told the shaper the other was it's senior, but it is obviously the leader. Why did it lie?" Shale asked.

"I was exiled Shale, the people here do not like me. I figure it will be easier to get things done if they think Alistair is in charge. Not a kinslayer who has come back demanding armies."

"Hmmm."

They walked in silence across the diamond quarter and back down to the commons. Shale had gotten many stares, and even a few of the younger noble children decided to follow them until the reached the iron doors.

"There you are! I thought you had gotten lost!" Alistair pipped in.

"Sorry." Nahalanee grinned. _Gotten lost, in Orzammar_. Snort.

"Alistair, I am sorry to say, but you need to take the reins on this one. The dwarves need to think you are the boss." She giggled as his face twisted in a rather comical look.

"Me? Seriously?"

"Only on the outside." She heard the words of the shaper again and shuddered. "I am nothing more then a forgotten memory here. Exiled for killing the next king. But don't worry I will right there telling you what to say. " She grinned.

"Ok lets get this over with." She said as the rest of her party arrived, she lead them back to the diamond quarter and toward the Assembly

Dwarven politics she thought to herself and smiled.


	11. The Proving Ch 11

There was a sepulchral silence that hung in the room as I sat and watched Nahalanee slowly braid her hair. It was a gesture I had seen her perform a hundred times before leaving camp in the morning, yet today it seemed...different. Today she had chosen to stand against House Aeducan and champion House Harrowmont in a proving dedicated to the late Endrin Aeducan.

_IHe is not my father anymore, I have no house or family in Orzammar,_ /IShe had told me. Though her words were absolute, her eyes bared the pain of loss. Loss for her house? Perhaps, loss for a father she could no longer claim as her own, without a doubt.

_IYou worry too much, there are laws governing the proving that have been set in stone for a thousand years, and wardens are greatly respected by my people. The worse I face is a few scratches, maybe a bruise or two./I_ She was fooling no one with her words, least of all me. Even if her eyes had not betrayed her, I knew the rules would not apply, not today, not to her.

I stared into the polished sheet of platinum that doubled as a mirror and watched as she tied off the end of her braid. Her glowing golden eyes flicked to the side catching and holding my gaze for several long silent moments. I always found it both beautiful and unnerving, the golden glow of her eyes, the warden glow she called it. Eventually our gaze was broken by the sudden thundering sound of cheers and stomps.

"You better get to your spot in the balcony if you are going to watch the champion of the proving once again show her worth." She grinned as she stood to re-adjust the empty sheaths on the back of her hips. I stood and pulled my own daggers from their sheaths and carefully slid them into hers. They didn't really fit but it wouldn't matter, they would not be there for long.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she watched me in the reflective metal.

"My blades are sharper, stronger, and lighter than yours, Warden. I think you should use them for this proving of yours." I said in a neutral tone, though neutral was far from how I felt at that moment. I helped her adjust the leather straps around her waist once more to compensate for the difference in weight. "Just remember, they are lighter." I repeated as I ran my palm over the top of her head and down her braid, our gaze locking once more in the platinum mirror.

"Lady Warden, it's time for your first bout." A voice said from the door, I could swear a smirk in those words.

"I'm coming, get to your seat Zevran, I am going to show you something spectacular." She grinned as she turned and left the readying room. I sighed and made my way to the balcony where Alistair had already been seated. Maker help us.

…

In the doubles match she had called upon a cousin of Harrowmont to fight as her second, though I could understand her reasoning, I cursed her for not choosing one of us. The warrior was slower then Alistair, and it was obvious he knew nothing of fighting beside a rogue.

"How stupid can she be, fighting with an untrained sword at her side!" I growled as I watched the fight below.

"Dwarves are far from untrained Zevran, from what I gather the warrior caste has the best of what Orzammar has to offer."

"But he does not know her as we do, and look how slow he is. She should have called upon … one of us to fight with her."

"Come now Zevran, it is not like you to get worked up like this." Leliana said, and I am pretty sure I heard a little smirk behind her words.

I saw the crimson stream fly from her face as a blade sliced the air in front of her. "Braska! I need to find Morrigan." I felt a hand grip my arm as I stood. I looked over to see Leliana smiling and raising from her own seat.

"I will go get her, you stay here." she was gone before I could argue, I sat back down and watched in silence as the warden won her bout, though she was now bleeding from several shallow cuts on her arms and a rather nasty looking one on her face. "Braska." I said again for no apparent reason.

…

"This is a Glory Proving, fought under the eyes of the Paragons of Orzammar to honor the memory Of King Endrin. Only two warriors remain. Fighting for his royal cousin Bhelen, Piotin Aeducan has led his team to triumph over every unit so far! Challenging him on behalf of Lord Harrowmont, Nahalanee of the Grey Wardens, who has risen from nothing to stand at the competition's summit!"

"I thought she had been champion of the proving before?" Alistair asked me as the announcer went on.

"She was until she was stripped of her family from what I have gathered. Once she was exiled she became nothing in the eyes of her Ancestors, and her people merely forgot her."

"I wonder if she is ok, she is about to fight her own cousin."

"She killed her own brother my dear Alistair, I doubt a cousin will present much of a moral challenge." I smirked, but in truth I had thought the same thing.

"Each will lead a full unit of Four Soldiers, to see once and for all whom the ancestors favor! Warden call your unit!"

I was relieved to know we could fight by her side, as Alistair and I began to stand up her voice rang loud over the sounds of the crowd.

"In call forth Gwiddon and Baizyl to fight at my side, may the Ancestors prove today the glory and honor of House Harrowmont!"

I couldn't believe it, and from the look on Alistair's face neither could he. One of these warriors had already proven to be to slow, and the other one was an untried hand, what could she be thinking!

"don't worry, she fights darkspawn for a living I doubt a few dwarves will give her much trouble." I could hear the worry in his voice despite his attempts at sounding cheerful.

"Darkspawn don't fight this dirty and have not had the same training as she." I said as I stood, my hands wrapped around the stone banister as I held my breath.

She pushed her hair back behind her shoulders as she listened to the announcer behind her, it had come loose in the last bout, and it seemed her luck was not improving.

_IPiotin, great just what I needed./I_ She thought to herself as she stared into her cousin's eyes. I_Bad enough I have to fight the warriors of the Aeducan's but now I have to fight Piotin._ /I

"I call forth Gwiddon and Baizyl to fight at my side, may the Ancestors prove today the glory and honor of House Harrowmont!" She yelled out as she reached back and pulled both daggers from her hips.

She had spared with her cousin on many occasions in the past, she could only hope her knowledge of him, and the few new tricks she had learned from Zevran would be enough to defeat the warrior. Ancestors knew, she could never beat him before.

Her hands gripped the daggers hilts tightly as she stared into the cold hard eyes of her cousin, death was the only way out of this fight those eyes told her, one way or another.

Piotin's right hand as come for her, simple enough she thought as she twisted around the man and sunk her right dagger into the mans arm, taking him and his shield out of the fight in one swift movement. His left hand took a little more time to take out of the fight, he had already taken down Baizyl, curse that slow dimwitted warrior.

She spun on her heels toward her cousin just in time to see the Aeducan brand of his shield before it slammed into her chest and sent her stumbling backwards. Before she could recover she felt a sudden sharp pain in her left shoulder which sent her into a violent spin, throwing her to the ground. As she struggled to her feet Piotin came in for a final attack, luckily Gwiddon stepped in front of her blocking what would have been a fatal blow. She regained her feet and in a sudden puff of smoke her form disappeared only to re-materialize a few seconds later behind the man with the crossbow. Her right dagger sank deep into the man's neck. It was one of Zevran's favorite killing blows, not one she would normally use in a proving, but the rules had changed and she had no intention of dieing today.

She watched Gwiddon drop to the ground wounded, as she readied herself for the fight with Piotin. She turned her body so that her useless leg arm was partially blocked and spun the dagger in her right hand so the blade faced backwards. I_Ancestors forgive me as I shed the blood of yet another of my kin./I_ she thought as she charged.

… ~~~ ***

Her hair had come loose and cascaded down her back and around her shoulders in waves, once white as fresh fallen snow now stained red with blood making her already pale complexion deathly white. The proving had rules, laws that had been in place for a thousand years, but apparently those rules did not apply to the Exiled Princess. Warden or not, nothing short of the kin-slayer's death would sate the blood lust of the noble houses.

I turned my gaze away just in time to miss the warrior's shield connect with the wardens face a second time.

"Let's go, we should be ready when she is finished." I said as I turned and walked toward the doors. I told myself repeatedly we had to get down to the ready room before the fight was over, for her sake. It was not because I couldn't bear to watch the rest of the fight, not because I couldn't bear to watch the warden get thrown around and beat near to death.

By the time Morrigan and I made it to the warden's ready room, Nahalanee was already there laid out on the bench. Her eyes were glassy and distant and her breathing was shallow.

"Warden really. If it is a death wish you have, I would rather you fulfill it sooner rather then later." Morrigan's hands began to glow a dim blue as she touched the warden's shoulder.

"You know me Morrigan, anything to keep you on your...toes." she turned her head toward me and smiled before her eyes slipped closed.

A slew of curses slipped from the witches mouth as her hands flared a bright blue. I turned and left the witch to her duties, I suddenly needed the sky above me and the cold mountain air in my lungs. I raced to the surface telling myself the whole way I was only worried for the warden because she was my shield, the one thing standing between me and the crows, nothing more, nothing less.

Why then was my stomach in so many knots, what was this feeling pulling at my heart, why the fear of loss? Maker, I need air!

…


	12. Brother Dearest ch 12

_Nahalanee Aeuducan, these tattoos mark your status as princess, they are your birthright. These markings demand respect and fear of all lesser houses. Wear them proudly child._

If she had to take a guess, she might say the line scratched through her name in the memories was much like the line now scratched through her tattoos. Jagged and ugly, marred for all too see. Fitting wasn't it? It took a lifetime to build up the respect her name and those markings held, and only moments to destroy.

"Why did Morrigan not heal your face to leave no scar?" A familiar voice asked as it approached.

"Tis a reminder of her stupidity." Morrigan answered before Nahalanee could. "I will have you know, it is no small task healing a race with a natural resistance to magic. And if she is going to throw herself on every sword, spear, and mace we come across then she shall do so with consequences."

"What she said." Nahalanee rolled her eyes as she stared into the polished stone watching the Antivan approach from behind and begin weaving her hair into one long braid.

Morrigan gave a loud annoyed sigh as she rose and left the room slamming the door behind her. She never did like it when Zevran and Nahalanee got within sight of each other let alone arms reach.

"You know." Zevran said as he quickly tied off the braid with a piece of leather. "Had you called upon us to fight with you..."

"Zevran, don't." She sighed dropping her gaze to her lap. "You and Morrigan have been at my throat since the proving."

Zevran circled the dwarf and sat on the edge of the vanity letting the braid slide slowly through his hand as he did so. "And we will keep at it until you learn. You cannot go into such battles with untested swords."

"You know why I did it, and I would do it again if I had to." She raised her head and then turned it to the right to stare at the wall, and to hide the scar from Zevran's view.

"There may not be a next time if you keep doing such stupid things, Warden. " He grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look at him. "You are too valuable to take such risks. You may have a death wish, but the least you can do is wait until your work is done. Remember the last time you risked everything for your own glory? Would you see Ferelden fall and her people die for your dwarven Honor and pride?"

She pulled away from Zevran's grasp and quickly stood turning away from him. "Come on, we have a carta to take care of." She said as she walked out of the room. Zevran stared after her for a moment before following.

…

Nahalanee twisted the dagger in Jarvia's lifeless chest needlessly before pulling it out and wiping the blade on the dead woman's tunic. "Check the bodies, I will check the office." She said in a dark angry tone as she sheathed her weapons.

Once the rest of them were set about their task Nahalanee made her way to the backroom and deposited a few papers in the personal chest behind the door. Afterward she began rifling through the stone desk that dominated most of the room, papers about smuggling, mercenary groups, Carta cells, debts, and...Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the papers in the top center drawer. She flipped through the small pile of papers written and signed in her younger brothers hand, papers that mentioned both Trian and herself several times.

"Something wrong?" Leliana asked from the doorway

"No, not at all." She said and jumped up shoving the papers down the front of her tunic. "Meet me back at Harrowmont's, I am going to go see my dearest brother." She said as she bolted past the bard and disappeared down one of the tunnels.

She ran all the way to the doors of the diamond quarter then walked the rest of the way to the palace. In her mind she was going over everything she wanted to say, and everything she was going to say.

"It's done Vartag, now take me to Bhelen."

"I am surprised surfacer, you followed through."

"I said I would." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Despite what brother dearest might say, I am a woman of my word."

"Indeed." His eyes flicked over her shoulder as Zevran materialized behind her. "Does he always follow you around?"

Nahalanee turned and glared darkly at the Antivan standing behind her. "Apparently." She said in a less then amused voice.

"You do not expect an exiled princess to wander the city without someone to guard her body do you?" Zevran added as his hand slid down her blood splattered braid despite her obvious annoyance.

Vartag gave a disgusted grunt. "Follow me, and keep your weapons sheathed." He turned and led them through the stone halls to the room that was once occupied by her Elder brother Trian. He stood outside the door as Nahalanee and Zevran entered the room.

"Sister!" Bhelen all but yelled as Nahalanee approaching him. "How nice it is for you to come see..."Bhelen's words were cut short as he stumbled from a rather sudden and powerful left hook from the seething female dwarf.

"Hey you can't..." She heard Vartag protest behind her before the door was slammed shut. They all heard a thud and loud curse from the other side of the door as Zevran slid the bolt into place and chuckled. 

"I guess I deserved that." Bhelen said as he wiped blood from his bottom lip. "You've gotten stronger since you left."

"Why?" She asked as she shook her left hand.

"Oh come on Nahalanee, you would have done the same thing to me and you know it. You wanted that throne just as much as I did, everyone could see it."

"Obviously I am the only Aeducan who cared of family over wealth." She said turning her back and crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe I should have let House Devrash knife you when I had the chance." She added in a low voice.

"What?"

"Nothing." She spun back around eyes narrowed.

"Why have you come here, obviously not because you missed me." 

"Did you kill father? The truth Bhelen."

"I did not." He said his voice slightly pained. "He died of a broken heart over what happen to you and Trian." He let out a humorless chuckle. "Perhaps in a way I did kill him, but it was not on purpose." 

She stared at him for a long time before she was satisfied and nodded. "I will be in touch." She said and whirled toward the door.

"Wait, that's it? You only came here to ask me that?"

"Yep."

"Wait!"

"What?" She turned to look at her now very confused brother.

"Don't think you can get out of this so easily sister. Remember it was you who planted the papers, you will help me get the throne or I will let everyone know what you have done."

"What would you have me do Bhelen, not much I can do until I check in with Harrowmont now is there. I knew you were always slow in the head, but even you can't be that thick."

Bhelen's eyes narrowed but he said nothing as they glared at each other.

"I will contact you when I have something. Now go back to your casteless whore and keep your mouth shut."

"Or what?"

"I may not be a princess anymore Bhelen, but I have not changed, remember what happened to those who dared to challenge me." She said as her left hand rested on the hilt of her dagger. 

A flicker of fear crossed his face before he set it in a scowl, but he said nothing more as Nahalanee stalked out of the room with a suddenly curious Antivan in tow.


	13. Secrets in the Deep Ch 13

Day 1

Nahalanee, Trian, Zevran, Morrigan, Shale, and their newest and smelliest companion Oghren make their way toward the Aeducan Thaig. It had taken a few days to convince Nahalanee to enter those tunnels again, and she refused to go with no less then four people at her back. Had Alistair not been the only other living Warden, she would have taken all of them, but as it was she left Sten and Leliana to guard the templar in case the worst happened.

The first day was nearly over and already the party was at each others throats. Zevran and Morrigan once again lecturing Nahalanee, Nahalanee complaining about not having a moment to herself since the proving, and Oghren trying to milk all the drama he could out of it. Shale was the only one who seemed less then interested at the quarrels of the squishies.

This was going to be a long hard journey.

Day 4

CARIDIN'S CROSS

"Heh I told you I could find Caridin cross, and look, this road leads right to Ortan thaig. Just like I told ya it would" Oghren said with more then a little smugness in his voice. Then added a meaty belch as if it proved some random point.

"This is an example of your dwarven knight caste? Tis a wonder how your race survived so long."

"Warrior Caste." Both dwarves said at the exact same time.

"A wonder indeed my lovely Morrigan, here we have the perfect example of not only their warriors, but their nobles as well." Zevran smirked as he brushed the cobwebs from a sign post scribed in old dwarven letters. "It truly is a mystery."

Nahalanee winced as she turned away from the group and began walking down the road. It had been this way since the proving. Morrigan and Zevran had formed a truce of sorts to team up against the dwarven warden, and she was not liking it one bit.

DAY 6

Nahalanee stood in awe as she admired the stone carvings and the ancient broken walls. Ortan Thaig, oh how she wished her brother Trian were here. How he would have loved to see the home of the golem master. Now it was occupied by a twisted vile creature who called himself Ruck, an exile who lived on the meat of the darkspawn. Nahalanee shuddered at the thought of her own exile, and that she might have been anything like him.

I

"_you hear it too, the song. He calls to me but I cannot follow. The dark ones they follow, they hear his song."/I _those words had plagued her for hours now.

"Hey look what I found!" Oghren yelled across the Thaig much to everyone's horror. "It's Branka's journal! She..."

"Ancestors curse you warrior, shut your mouth! We can hear you just fine lets not wake all the deep roads!" Nahalanee hissed at him.

"For once a smart idea." Zevran mumbled behind her. Few words had passed between her and the elf these days, and when they did they were dripping with sarcasm and hostility.

"Look, she's gone to the deep trenches. Maybe the legion will know where she is." Oghren said with more then a little hope in his voice.

"The legion?" Morrigan asked as she looked over the journal.

"Legion of the dead. Mostly exiles who wish to redeem their name by dieing to protect Orzammar." Nahalanee said as she rummaged through the abandoned chests and boxes. "some are even casteless. They have their own rituals including a funeral when they join."

"A funeral BEFORE they die?" Zevran asked curiously.

"Yes, like the warden's, when you join there is no going back. The only way out is death by darkspawn."

"Aah, then perhaps you should have joined when exiled, no? Save us all the trouble..."

"VEATA ZEVRAN!" Nahalanee yelled before she could stop herself. She sighed and rubbed her temples as she turned quickly away. "rest here for a couple hours. The trenches are not going to be pretty." She walked a short distance away from the group and sat down leaning against the wall. Trian plodded over and lay beside her as she pulled out a journal she found written by Caridin and tried to read, but the murmuring sound that had started in the back of her mind the day before was making the task rather difficult.

After awhile she sighed and shoved the book back into her bag and stood. The noise in the back of her skull was starting to really annoy her, much like an assassin who had a nug up his arse. She made her way silently back to the small cave on the other end of the thaig where they had found Ruck.

The creature raised its head and glared at the intruder. "What do you want, you no steal Ruck's things!" He barked.

Nahalanee held up her hands "It's me Ruck, the Grey Warden you remember?"

"Grey like the stone. Guardians against the darkness. Ruck remembers pretty lady. She hears the dark masters song. " He went back to sorting through his bits and bobs.

"What is this song Ruck? Can you tell me?" Nahalanee asked as she hunkered down watching the creature.

"When the Dark Master woke he started to call. The dark ones went I could not though. Ruck not strong enough, Ruck a coward."

"Where did they go Ruck?"

"South.. South to the Dark master."

Ruck picked up a golden colored stone and scurried over to were Nahalanee was kneeling. "Golden eyes, gold like shinies hidden in the stone. Shinies for pretty lady, pretty eyes." He held out the gem. Nahalanee raised her palm and the creature dropped the stone into her hand, then scurried back to his pile of seemingly useless treasure.

Nahalanee rolled the gift over in her hand, it was a rough stone not unlike those she mounted in Shale, though this one seemed different, she made a note to ask Shale about it. "Thank you, Ruck." She said as she lowered her hand then hissed as she rubbed her temple with her free hand.

"You hear it, the dark master's song. Ruck sees the darkness inside you, can feel it...Ruck not miss the light so much, comfort in darkness... Comfort like dark master...dark mother." Ruck said watching her. "He calls you."

Nahalanee shuddered and stood suddenly wishing to be anywhere but here. "Thank you again Ruck. Stone protect you."

"Pretty lady, Grey like the stone guardian against the darkness." He muttered as he went back to rooting through his treasures.

"Shale." Nahalanee said as she re-emerged from the cave. "Just the golem I wanted to see."

"The swamp witch sent me to find it. It ran off again and the painted I_bird/I_ did not want to search."

"Tell me what you think of this." She held out the gem for the golem's inspection.

"I... do not know. I have not seen one like this before. Very lovely."

"May I?" She said holding it up. Shale grunted her approval and sat down heavily shaking the ground below them. Nahalanee smiled as she removed one of the smaller fire stones and replaced it with the unknown golden one.

"It has magic... memories, or... thoughts!" Shale said surprised as the gem melded with her stone skin.

"Can you make them out?" Nahalanee said wide eyed.

"They are hard to interpret. The deep roads, and cities. I cannot see much. Perhaps the longer I keep it the more I shall know."

"Well, something to ponder I guess." The dwarf smiled . "Come on lets get back to the others."

The golem worked its way back to it's feet and followed the warden making hmmm and aaahh noises the whole way. Nahalanee eventually couldn't help but giggle which drew glares from both the witch and the painted elf. Good, let them glare.

DAY 10

ORZAMMAR

"I long to be back in that cage in Lothering at times." Sten suddenly said as he pushed his plate aside.

"Lothering was destroyed by the darkspawn." Alistair replies.

"Pshaara. I am aware of this." he said and stood. "We cannot wait forever, there is a blight to defeat." He added before leaving the feasting hall in a huff.

"He is right you know, Alistair. They may be dead." Leliana said once Sten was out of earshot.

"We will wait as long as it takes. You know her as well as I, she will be fine."

"You care about her don't you."

"She is a Warden, of course I do."

"That is not what I mean and you know it." She said leaning against the table.

"Maybe once I did, but not anymore." He chuckled.

"What changed?"

"Zevran."

"Aaahh yes, our resident assassin." She chuckled.. "I am sure they would let you join if you asked."

Alistair's face twisted in horror. "Nahalanee is like a sister to me, that would just be... creepy!"

Leliana couldn't help but laugh. "Wicked grace?" She asked with a smile.

"Sure, but no cheating this time." He pushed aside his plate as Leliana pulled out her cards.

DAY 12

DEEP TRENCHES

Nahalanee had been acting strange for days and her temper had become rather volatile. But today she seemed extra agitated as they entered a massive cavern filled with flickering red light. "it's here." Nahalanee mumbled almost fearfully as she followed her companions.

It didn't take long till they found out what IT was. As Nahalanee knelt in pain with her hands over her ears the rest of them stared horrified at the beast blocking their path. If they needed any more proof this was a blight, there it was perched on the bridge shrieking down at an endless sea of darkspawn.

Less then an hour later the dragon was gone and the group was moving quickly in hopes of crossing the bridge before the beast returned.

The murmuring in her head had grown louder, now she heard an ancient foreign language, one she almost understood, one she felt she should understand. It was both frightful and comforting. _Comfort in __darkness, comfort like dark master...dark..._

She shuddered muttering something that sounded like dwarven, but not even Oghren could translate.

Day 13

DEEP TRENCHES

"Atrast Vala, Grey warden, I've never seen your kind in the deep roads before." a voice said from behind her as she pulled her blade from the last hurlok.

"You know who I am?"

"I recognize a fighter of darkspawn, it marks you. It's why we in the legion of the dead abandon our lives, so we can fight without fear."

"Indeed." She said warily and rubbed her forehead with her palm. 

"What brings you down here exile?"

Nahalanee raised her eyebrow at the man. "What did you call me?" She asked then shook her head. "Never mind, I'm looking for Paragon Branka."

"What put this dull idea in your head, we've got other things to worry... Oh I get it. The deep lords can't make up their minds so the pretenders need added influence, I get that right?"

"Nothing gets past you."

"Listen warden everyone with any sense knows Branka's dead, and you are on a fools errand. My advice turn back now."

"The first sensible thing I have heard all day." Morrigan chimed in.

"What does a warden care about the throne anyway?"

"The blight."

The man laughed at this. "Should have known. Only time the other kingdoms care about what happens under the mountains is when the darkspawn march in the light."

"Truer words were never spoken commander." She sighed rubbing her temples. "Atrast nal tunsha Dwarva."

"Atrast Tunsha, Warden." the dwarf replied with a slightly worried quirk of the brow.

Grumbles all around as Nahalanee turned down the path that would lead them deeper instead of back.

Day 15

SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE TRENCHES

Nahalanee shuffled forward head hung, palms pressed against the side of her head. She was exhausted and the flow of darkspawn was never ending. Nearly Everyone had become overly irritable, including the golem, and each had blamed the warden for their predicament. Oghren seemed the only one immune to the mood that had fallen over the party.

"I never thought I would meet a woman as strong willed as my Branka. You Aeducan's really don't give up do ya. Here's to you warden!" Oghren said as he drank from one of his many flasks.

"Is that all you do, find reasons to drink that vile piss water?" Nahalanee mumbled.

"Pretty much." He said and belched.

"Tezpadam." She mumbled.

"Nug-humper." Oghren replied with another loud belch.

"It should just give up, we are not closer to finding this paragon then we were a week ago." shale grumbled.

"Over my dead body." Nahalanee mumbled as she rubbed her forehead. The voices in her head were loud today, and with exhaustion setting in, thinking was becoming increasingly difficult. If only she could understand them, those voices that seemed to call her from the deepest recesses of her mind.

"If dieing is on your agenda I suggest you do it sooner rather then later." Morrigan grumbled.

"I must agree with you my lovely Morrigan. Antivan leather was not made for such abuses."

"If you want me dead so badly then why don't you just get it over with and stab me in the back like a good little assassin." She snarled.

"The thought had crossed my mind many times, warden. If I were you I would not tempt fate today." He hissed, each word dripping with venom.

Nahalanee spun on unsteady legs toward him and...

"Fifth day, they return and its the other girls turn...Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams."  
>For a split second Nahalanee thought it was all in her head, but the echo was different, it was the echo off stone, not of...whatever was going on in her mind. <p>

Each person looked at the next to make sure they were all hearing the same thing. When it was established they all had not gone completely bonkers each pulled their respective weapons and silently made their way down the tunnel system.

""Now she does feast, as she.." The voice cut itself off.

"What is this? Feeding time brings only kin and clan... I am cruel to myself, I dream of strangers and open doors."

Nahalanee stared unbelieving as she watched the ragged blotchy woman raise from the meal of half rotted corpse. Had the warden been able to eat anything in the last few days, it would no doubt have come right back up.

"Who are you? Are you from Branka's house?" Nahalanee asked after several minutes of staring. She could smell the taint on the woman and wondered how she could still be alive.

"Do, do not talk of Branka, of what she did. Ancestors forgive us, forgive me. I, Hespeth... was her captain, her lover and I... could not stop her. I could not turn her...forgive her... but... no. She cannot be forgiven for what...she has...become."

"What are you talking about? What did she do?"

"They make us eat...The men...they died, but the women...they changed...and she let...let it happen"

"Let what happen?"

"No...I cannot... I will not turn... I...First day they come and take everyone." She said and suddenly bolted past them.

"Great, you scared her off." Zevran of course was no help again.

"I wonder what is going on here?" Nahalanee mumbled as she rubbed her head again. She couldn't think with that noise in her head, however soothing it seemed to becoming.

"Come, let us see if we can find her again. Vile as she is, it may be our only hope." Morrigan said with a sigh.

DAY 16

There had been no darkspawn since they had first met Hespeth, nor had they seen the tainted dwarven woman which just put everyone that much more on edge. It was almost a relief when they heard the chant again, though it took Nahalanee almost ten minutes to hear it through her own thoughts and mumbles. Thoughts that now revolved around the noise, that I_voice,/I_ the ancient song that filled her mind.

"...And she becomes the beast... The worst part is not that it did happen, but... it was allowed to happen." The words drifted down the tunnel.

"Branka allowed it...she...made us eat...Laryn went first...Laryn...changed."

As if on queue a loud inhuman scream filled the tunnel causing them all to cover their ears. As the echos died down each one pulled their weapons and inched forward toward the opening at the end of the tunnel.

What they saw when they entered the large cavern was worse then any of them could have imagined.

Nahalanee looked at the monstrosity that dominated the cavern and everything seemed to click suddenly into place. The last of the control Nahalanee had on her body and mind finally broke as the mysteries of the deep unraveled. Then there was darkness.

~ ~ ~ I

_She was positively starving, Her mind and body were crying out for the meat in front of her, but the more she ate, the hungrier she seemed to get, nothing could sate the growling in her stomach._

_She licked her fingers and looked down at her plate, but it was not a plate it was a stone floor covered in blood and entrails. No, it was meat hot fresh meat._

_She reached out taking more. So hungry as she ripped into the meat. Her teeth clicked on something, she pulled it out, an earring. A golden hoop Lightly gemed. She knew that earring didn't she? She looked down at her meal and gasped as she saw gold. Scattered golden strands here and there. A golden braid attached to a piece of scalp. Scraps of black leather, bits of chain mail. _

_A bloody faceless head with two dull amber eyes staring up at her blankly. Amber eyes that were once bright and lively, amber eyes that could bore into her soul, that could make her smile in the worst of times. Amber eyes that once made her heart swell until it nearly burst from her chest._

_She screamed./I_

Her eyes shot open as she tried to bolt upright only to be stopped by strong dark hands. "Be calm, my warden." A familiar voice whispered in her ear.

Amber eyes, amber eyes...

Amber eyes stared down at her with great concern as a tan colored hand gently stroked her face. Tears spilled from her eyes as she turned burying her face in the elf's stomach and hugging him tightly.

"We rest." Morrigan said seemingly somewhere far off as Nahalanee felt the tendrils of her magic drift over her forcing her back into the pit of darkness.


	14. Paragon's Fall ch 14

Something warm and soft pressed against her back, embraced her giving her a sense of safety she had not felt in weeks. She didn't want to wake up and lose the feeling, she wanted to stay here in the darkness where it was silent and she didn't remember. She was comfortable here in the back of her mind lost in that place between sleep and awake. There were no dreams, no song, no whispers she almost understood. It was how it should be, dreamless and silent. How it was before she was a Warden when she was a real dwarf. Yes she wanted to stay here and not remember the horror of the human world where she was no more then casteless filth, where she was forced to dream of monsters and demons like some human peasant.

She heard a small noise as something shifted against her back sending a puff of air over her neck. Her eyes flew open as her hand reached for a dagger that wasn't there. She looked down and saw a tattooed tan arm wrapped around her midsection and she couldn't help but smile. Carefully she pried the hand off of her and pushed it away causing the sleeping elf to roll away from her with an annoyed sleepy mumble. She sat up with a groan and closed her eyes pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. Her whole body throbbed and ached, demanding more rest and a hot bath.

"The painted elf has not left it's side since the swamp witch forced it to sleep. It seems odd that the painted elf would be so concerned for IT after all the complaining and arguing over the last few weeks."

"I've been told it's called human nature." Nahalanee said softly as she forced herself to her feet. "But seeing as he or I are not humans it would make no sense." She hissed in pain as she straightened her back, every muscle and joint screamed at her as she stretched her back and arms.

"I call it squishy nature, you have an odd way of showing what you people call love."

"I don't know what your talking about." Nahalanee said softly as she rubbed her temples. She had a headache that could split stone, but at least for the moment her mind was her own again. She heard nothing of the whispers and voices that had haunted her every thought, thank the ancestors for small favors.

"Right, and I am made of water."

Nahalanee sighed as she walked over to where Shale was standing watch and leaned against the tunnel's cold stone wall. "He is a Crow and I am a Warden. There can be no true love between us, no happy endings." She let her body slide down the wall into a sitting position with another soft sigh. The cool stone felt good against her back and she wondered if she might not be coming down with some sickness.

"IT'S tone suggests IT wishes otherwise."

Nahalanee scoffed as she pulled her knees to her chest and looked over at the sleeping blonde. "Zevran is cold and heartless, incapable of love. He made that perfectly clear a long time ago."

"Then why would the painted elf remain at IT'S side and show such concern?"

Nahalanee laughed. "Without us he is alone against a guild of assassins. I am nothing more then a late night distraction and a shield to protect him from the crows wrath. I will never be anything more then that to him." There was a sadness in her voice as she spoke her eyes focused on the dirty golden locks of the sleeping elf.

"Then why not just send the crow away and save IT the trouble of having to fight the other _birds_?"

Nahalanee chuckled softly at Shale's words. The golem was the only one she knew who could make the word bird sound so vulgar and distasteful, like a filthy curse rather then a word for a winged animal. She looked over at the sleeping Antivan again and sighed, Why not just end him away? She had asked herself that question and a dozen more a hundred times, always the answer was the same. Why had she not send him away? Why had she released him from his Oath? Why did she protect him? Why did she let him sleep in her tent? Why did she let him stay when she knew he would leave the moment his freedom was secured?

She rested her cheek on her knee as she looked over at Shale, the dim glow of her eyes making it hard to see the sadness that dwelled within them. "Because I love him." She said softly and smiled. "But let's just keep that between us."

Shale scoffed "IT has suffered to many blows to the head."

Nahalanee laughed and pushed a lock of grime matted hair from her face. "Indeed Shale, indeed."

As the two continued to talk, the Antivan who had been awake for some time closed his eyes tightly trying to push the words he had heard from his mind as unshed tears stung the back of his eyelids.

..~~

She let her mind wander as she shuffled down the tunnel, she had sensed no darkspawn in quite some time which was both comforting and disturbing. But what was more disturbing was this brood mother and the means on how she came to be. Would a Paragon of Orzammar really fall so far as to turn against her own kin in such a way? It was understood that she was indeed still alive, how was beyond her but.

Her mind switched back to the brood mother, the horrid monstrosity that was once a dwarven woman. Did the Wardens know what happened to the women they sent away during their calling? Was this the future she had to look forward too? Her whole childhood had been about fighting darkspawn, oh how she looked up to the Wardens. Had she but known joining the wardens would lead down this road of nightmares and monsters maybe...But would it really had changed her mind? It was the duty of all nobles and royals to fight the darkspawn.

She shuddered slightly at the thought of all the women in the warrior caste that had been lost to the deep, of all her cousins. Did they all become Dark mothers, forced to eat the meat of the exiled and the darkspawn?

"It would figure the Aeducan's would send their own princess to find me."

Nahalanee's head snapped up at the unfamiliar voice and came face to face with a crazed looking dwarven woman.

"Paragon Branka." She said softly.

Branka grinned down from her perch on the small cliff. Nahalanee hadn't even noticed they exited the tunnel into a small cavern of sorts. She gave a quick look around, it didn't look natural the paths that were carved through the rock.

"Branka is that you? Well shave my nug and call me a..."

"Shut up Oghren. What are you even doing here, I told you not to follow me." She said cutting off the warrior. "What do you want Princess?"

"Paragon, you are needed in Orzammar. The throne..." She was cut off by the most vile sounding laugh she had ever heard from a dwarf.

"So your father is dead and you seek to take his throne is that it? Did you kill your brother to become next in line? Or did the Deshyrs turn on Trian?"

"Trian is dead by my hand yes, but it was not for the throne." She stared up at the woman and tilted her head to one side. "Why would you do this to your own House Paragon?" Her voice took on a rather disgusted tone.

"I needed bodies to test the traps, and my house turned against me. They pledged their lives to this and then turned against me when the risk became to much for them. I would not allow them to hinder my plans. And now here you are ruining my hard work. Well Aeducan I hope you are as tough as they say you are."

The sound of metal sliding against rock echoed through the cavern as a metal sheet slid into place blocking their way out.

"Who do you think you are?" Nahalanee yelled suddenly, her anger beginning to surface.

"I am your Paragon." Branka said as she turned and walked out of sight.

Nahalanee bit the inside of her mouth to keep from yelling out. Branka was indeed her Paragon and the Paragons demanded respect, no matter how crazy they were.

"She is not your paragon. You are not a true dwarf anymore, no?" Zevran said in a soft tone that lacked any sort of emotion. Had his voice taken on any other tone she might have snapped.

"You're right." Nahalanee said softly and headed down the path, her golden eyes showing the first hints that darkspawn were nearby. Branka was not her Paragon anymore, she was nothing but a traitor and an ally of the Darkspawn. Nahalanee would see she was treated as such the very moment she had a chance.

"So you have anything knew to report, or are we going to sit here talking about feelings that don't exist."

Shale was far from stupid and had heard the hesitation in Nahalanee's voice, but shale also knew now was not the time to egg on the dwarf while it was in so much pain.

"I have seen things that make no sense but also a great deal of sense. If I see correctly, I remember traps, trials set in place to hide something of power."

"Trials? Like booby traps.. Riddles?" She was thinking of the dragon mountain with the urn.

"Something like that. Poison and anvils I do not know where or what it pertains to. However if I had to guess I would say it had something to do with getting to this Anvil you are obsessed over."

"I am not obsessed with the anvil. I need the dwarven army to defeat urthemiel." She said in a voice that was almost to low for Shale to hear.

"Who?"

Nahalanee shook her head and winced. "The arch demon."

"What does it hear when it does that?"

"A voice. Shale have you ever wondered what happens when a warden's time is up?"

"I do not wonder over such things."

"I always thought when the time would come I would die alone to the darkspawn. But... How many countless female wardens and dwarves have come down here and..."

"Tis not wise to dwell on such matters." Morrigan said sleepily as she slowly rose to her feet. "Not until your time comes anyway."

"I would rather fall on my own blade then suffer... that."

"Tis always an option." Morrigan said dismissively.

"Now if you are rested enough, I suggest we press on. We are running low on supplies and it would do us no good to linger." she said as she kicked awake the antivan.

"Right." Nahalanee said softly as she slid her daggers into their sheaths.

"Are you ok my warden?" Zevran brushed a matted section of hair from her face and brushed a thumb over her scarred cheek.

"I'm fine, thank you." She said and gave a forced smile before turning away. It seemed a bit rude, but she was in no mood for him. A piece of her swore she had heard something in his tone, but it was easily buried under the sound that was rising in the back of her skull again.

It took them nearly ten hours to find what they were surching for, and it was NOT what they had expected.


	15. We Are Not Paragons Ch 15

"How did you know how to do that?" Nahalanee asked as she watched the stone door open after Oghren dropped his hammer on the last of the spirit anvils.

"I do not know, it just came to me. Like I was here before." Shale said with a small shrug of it's rocky shoulders.

"Does it have to do with that crystal?"

"It is possible."

"T'was a stupid idea sticking an unknown crystal in a creature that could crush you like a bug. What if it had made the golem turn on you.?"

"You know Morrigan I seriously am getting sick of your complaining. Remind me again why I brought you?"

"Because I am the only healer you have." Morrigan replied with a smirk. "Without me you would probably be dead by now."

"Had I known you would be this annoying I would have risked it." Nahalanee said as she walked toward the door. She didn't hate Morrigan, just the opposite in fact she had always thought Morrigan and interesting person and a good friend. Hell she even killed a dragon for the witch but sometimes all she could think of is slapping that smug look off her face. Maybe with a hammer.

She peered through the door into the next hall and scanned the stone walls and floor. Traps lined both sides of the hallway, darts or something she guessed. With a loud frustrated sigh and spun and leaned against the door frame rubbing her forehead with her palm. The darkspawn were closer then she would like, up ahead in their path in fact but so was the Paragon and the only hope she had in order to gain control of the army.

"Are you ok my warden?"

"Fine Zev, do me a favor." She said and nodded her head toward the hallway. "Take care of it." She said and slid down the wall sitting heavily on the ground. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the cool stone as she heard the soft footfalls of the elf going about disarming the traps.

"Shale, can you tell me anymore about whats up ahead?" She asked as she pulled at the front of her tunic, it felt far too warm in these caverns and it made her leathers rather sticky and uncomfortable, as if the grime and muck hadn't been enough already.

"The Anvil."

"Can you be more specific?"

"I cannot, the knowledge in the gem is scrambled and broken. IT wants to know whats ahead, I can only tell IT it is the anvil. It is close though."

"BRASKA!" She heard echo down the hall as the sound of several pieces of metal hit the stone reached her ear. "No worries! All is well, I missed one." Zevran yelled down the hall.

"We had no doubts Assassin." Nahalanee yelled back as she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

"We are all going to die down here." Nahalanee said in a low voice as she watched the light of their torches dance across the stone. "Ur...the arch demon is going to eat us, or the darkspawn will kill us." She paused and watch a shadow shaped as a nug dance across the stone. "Or we are all going to die because our Paragon has lost her mind and wants to turn me into a brood mother to birth a thousand darkspawn."

Morrigan scoffed and shifted from one foot to the other which caused the shadows on the ceiling to shift. Nahalanee watched as the dancing nug was trampled by a bronto which then turned into a hurlok.

"You know I am starting to wonder why we have paragons? We worship our Ancestors, Paragons are living ancestors but what happens when they go crazy? How do you kill that which is suppose to be worshiped? It would be like killing one of your good fade spirits. Humans worship spirits right? Or did I get that wrong?"

Morrigan groaned as she knelt beside the dwarf and placed a hand on her forehead. "I should have seen it earlier." Morrigan muttered as her hand began to glow a vibrant blue.

Nahalanee closed her eyes and winced at the sudden brightness. "A little warning would have been nice, what are you doing?" She now had small blue dots and white streaks dancing behind her eyelids, she swore one of them looked like Gorim that day he was...

"You have a fever, which would explain the nonsense pouring out of your mouth. How long have you been feeling ill?" Morrigan asked cutting into Nahalanee's thoughts. 

"Since my Joining, did you know I never dreamt until that day? My first ever dream was of a huge dragon, you know I think I almost wet myself too probably would have if I had been awake. Do all humans dream of monsters, or is that just a lucky Warden thing? I wonder if I could..."

"I mean how long have you felt feverish?"

"Oh, I don't know I lost track of time years ago, you know I can't hear the whispers anymore. Maybe it's because of the fever, maybe I should stay that way. I think it's because the arch demon is no longer under ground. Well at least not in this part of the deep anyway. What do you think Morrigan, you think its the fever or the lack of dragon gods?"

"I think you should quiet down now."

"Hey Morrigan, if I turned into a brood mother would you kill me? You would wouldn't you, you would...'

"Shut up." She snapped at the dwarf. 

"You can be such a bitch."

"Indeed."

"Well that is done, and I only tripped one of them!" Zevran said proudly from the doorway. "Shall we press on?"

Morrigan stood and entered the hallway without another word as Zevran helped the warden to her feet.

"I guess that is a yes." Nahalanee chuckled and followed. "What is that smell?" She asked wrinkling her nose, she couldn't tell if the smell was her or the rotting corpses of house Branka that made it to the first set of traps. It didn't matter, somewhere up ahead was the end for good or ill. The sounds of laughter echoed against the stone from somewhere ahead. Branka? But it couldn't be she had not been with them in these stone cursed trials. Nahalanee's eyes narrowed as she followed the broken path, if it was Branka ahead nothing would stop her from ripping the woman's heart from her chest.

It took less then twenty minutes to find their way out into another enormous cavern, and an added five minutes for Nahalanee to prove to herself what she saw standing there on the small cliff above her was more then just fevered imagination. Yes there she was, Branka of House Branka, Paragon of Orzammar standing smug as can be staring down watching as the warden tried to piece her mind together.

"You are kidding me right?" Nahalanee finally said as she glared up at the woman. "You made us go through all that just..." Nahalanee at a loss for words cut herself off.

"You look angry Princess."

"If you knew your way around the traps why make us go through them?" Nahalanee barked.

"I had to make sure you would survive the last stretch. The Anvil is on the other side of that hall."

"I should kill you where you stand!" She yelled, wishing now she was proficient in bows, or better yet had Leliana with her. An arrow between the eyes would be a sufficient start.

"How dare you speak to your Paragon like that!"

"You are NOT my Paragon!"

"Oh right, kinslayer. You were exiled then, so what are you doing here?"

"I am a Warden."

"I see." Nahalanee could see the cogs turning in the vile woman's head as she worked her way through this new information. Finally her mouth twisted in an almost pleasant smile. "Then you of all people should understand. Victory at all costs, the wardens of old burned whole villages to meat their end."

"They were fighting a blight, you destroyed your whole house for your own glory. That is NOT the same!"

"Is it not? You have a golem at your side, you know the strength they possess. Think Princess." Branka said as she hunkered down resting her elbow on her knee. " An army of Golems to fight the darkspawn. The dwarves could take back thousands of years of history, reclaim Thaigs long since forgotten. With these golems you, Warden could defeat this blight before it spreads any further."

"The anvil destroys lives Branka." She hissed, but her voice betrayed her thoughts. A small part of her knew what Branka said was true. "Caridin locked it away for a reason, it as never meant to be reclaimed! You deny the Ancestors with this endeavor!"

Branka huffed and stood waving her hand dismissively. "The ancestors are long dead, rotted and forgotten, but I the only living Paragon will bring glory back to our people, with or without you." She said and turned away.

"BRANKA!" Nahalanee screamed after the woman.

"You know I am right, I hear it in your voice." Branka said and laughed, a vile dark laugh as she disappeared somewhere up on the cliff.

"Lovely warden, now what do you plan on doing? Maybe we shall find the arch demon and anger her as well." Morrigan sighed.

"Shut...the...hell...up." She growled to both those behind her and the people standing behind her, and the noise that began to rise once again in her fever addled brain. Her hands reached back and pulled both daggers from her hips as she began to move forward. "I am so sick and tired of your voices.. All of them." She glanced back only once before she rushed forward toward the darkspawn that began surging out of the hall ahead.

"Did you see..." Oghren mumbled but the roar of an ogre snapped everyone into action before he could finish his sentence and they all ran forward following the screaming dwarf.

_IDid you see her eyes? They were burning like the inside of a forge!/I_ He was going to say. Nahalanee had called it the wardens glow, each of them had seen it many times. But this was different, there was something terrible hidden within the light that now spilled out over her face.


	16. Last Request, Eternal Regret ch 16

Morrigan let out a small gasp as the lightning on the tip of her fingers faded and vanished. It had taken every last bit of her mana to take down the last ogre as it lumbered down the tunnel toward them. The warden had charged around a blind corner into a hall swarming with darkspawn, blades flying and eyes blazing. She had not slowed her pace despite the odds and the rest of her companions were scrambling trying to keep up. But in the end it was Morrigan's tempest and chain lightning that had saved them, she was just glad the tunnels underground were not wet, lest her spells backfire and kill them all.

Zevran rushed to Morrigan's side as she collapsed to her knees and began digging through one of the woman's hip pouches for a vial of lyrium. Morrigan snarled at the assassin when she felt his hand. "I do not need your help Assassin, stop touching me." She growled just as he found what he was looking for and pulled back.

"Come now my dear Morrigan as much as I would love to fondle you, I would much rather wait until we are out of these cursed tunnels." He smirked as he handed her the potion which she took and downed gratefully in one large swallow.

"I...Thank you." She mumbled softly as she licked her lips and began to feel a bit more like herself. She brushed her dirty matted hair back from her face and looked around. "Where is the warden?" 

"She took off down the Tunnel with Oghren and Shale mumbling something about raw Lyrium."

Morrigan tsk'd as she stood up and leaned against the stony wall. "I was afraid of that."

"Hmm?" Zevran asked as he began wiping his blades down.

"You and I ….nor this flea bag, " She said gesturing at the panting mabari beside her, "can follow, we can only stay here and hope they realize we are not with them and come back."

"Ah you wish to keep me to yourself awhile do you?" He smirked as he slid his blades into their scabbards and leaned against the opposite wall. Of course he knew what she was talking about, raw lyrium would kill her, and he would end up naked and delirious probably trying to hump the golem.

Morrigan tsk'd again just as a blur of a dwarf bolted past them. Zevran moved to follow but Morrigan grabbed his arm and stopped him. "T'is up to the warden now, we cannot follow."

A slightly worried and almost hopeless look crossed the Antivan's face as he watched Branka charge down the tunnel after the Warden. _Braska!__ giuro __se succede qualcosa a lei..._

..~~

_**We honor those who have made this sacrifice, let their names be remembered.**_

Nahalanee's fingers gently slid over the engraved words, names and houses of those who gave themselves, literally, to the anvil and became the protectors of their world. She wondered she would have had the courage to volunteer, to be laid across the anvil and forged into a being of iron, stone, and lyrium. She wondered how they withstood the pain of the hammer blow, alive, and feeling everything as their flesh was reforged into something... greater.

"You, forged them all. They all really volunteered?" She whispered almost breathlessly.

"No." A sad metallic voice said from behind her. "I was forced to start forging golems from those unwilling, and when I refused I was forced to take my place among them. It was when I felt the hammer blow myself that I truly learned what it was to regret. My greatest creation became my worst mistake. And that is why I need your help to destroy it, Warden."

Nahalanee turned toward Caridin and strained her neck upwards. "But I need the Anvil, without it Branka will not help me. There is a blight Ancestor... Paragon, and you of all people know the lengths we must go to stop it."

"I cannot allow it, I have guarded it these many centuries and I will continue to do so until I can undo what I have made."

"Then you must help me Ancestor, name a new king and I will destroy the anvil." her heart cinched tight in her chest as she struggled to keep eye contact. Caridin, sweet ancestors she was making demands of the greatest Paragon ever to grace the mountains.

"You are both fools." Branka's voice boomed as she raced into the cavern. "I will not let you destroy the anvil, I will kill you all first! Warden I demand you help me take this anvil for ourselves!"

"Branka!" Oghren suddenly shouted making Nahalanee jump slightly. She had completely forgotten about Shale and Oghren who had been standing silently watching them. "Stop and think woman, look at all you lost for this. It's not worth it."

"Shut up you old drunk." She snarled and stalked up to Caridin. "I did not sacrifice all this for nothing, and you will not stop me. You are no more then a relic of the past Caridin, I am the future of Orzammar and I WILL have that anvil!" 

"Listen to me..."

"NO!" Branka yelled and pulled something that looked like a control rod from her hip. "This anvil will be mine, and no..."

"What are you doing?" Oghren yelled in a rather loud and high pitched squeaky voice causing both Paragons to start.

"Forgive me Ancestors." Nahalanee whispered as she pushed her blade between the buckles holding Branka's armor together, her other hand quickly twisting the control rod from the warrior's hand. "May the Ancestors forgive us both Paragon." She carefully laid Branka on the ground as she pulled her blade from the woman's body muttering under her breath some stones prayer in dwarfish.

"What did you do that for?" Oghren yelled as he rushed over and dropped beside the lifeless body of his wife. "Why did you do that Warden, why couldn't you just give her the anvil?"

"Because..." Was all she said as she stood again wiping off her blade and looking up at the golem before her. "Help me and I will help you."

"Agreed, I shall put hammer to steel one last time and craft you a crown for the king of your choice."

"Wait what?" Nahalanee sounded suddenly horrified. "No I cannot choose I..." She searched desperately for a reason. "I am an exile... I can't choose I... it's... I..."

"I shall trust in your choice Warden, I do not wish to know their names it is your choice." He said as he turned away and approached the anvil.

..~~

Nahalanee had been leaning against Shale's leg sleeping when she was woken up by the booming voice of Caridin. She looked up at the golden crown that the golem held carefully in one large palm.

"That's..." She said as she scrambled to her feet and looked at the crown. Her hands reached for it and paused taking a deep breath and then finally taking it in her hands. "Amazing." She finally finished as she turned it this way and that. She had never seen such craftsmanship in all her life, and she as an Aeducan had the best smiths in Orzammar fussing over her at one point in time.

"Now, fulfill your end of our bargain Warden, I beg you."

"How am I suppose to break something that strong?"

"Push it over the edge, it will not melt but it will sink and forever be out of the reach of any who seek it."

Nahalanee nodded as she carefully shoved the crown into her own rucksack which had become dangerously empty, before slinging it over her back. "Oghren I need your help."

"I ain't gonna help you." The man said bitterly as he rolled up several pieces of parchment and shoved them into his own sack. Apparently while she slept he had been making rubbings of the monument for the shaperate.

"Fine. Then Shale will pop your head like an overripe melon." She said in a tone that could curdle blood.

Oghren glared at the warden but said nothing else, the look in her eyes said she was far from joking.

Together the two struggled to push the heavy anvil over the edge into the molten rock below, they were lucky it was already near the edge or they may never had made it. When she turned back she saw Caridin handing Shale something, the quiet rumbling of his voice was to low for her to understand anything. She watched as the two spoke for another moment then Caridin turned and approached the two dwarves.

Caridin leaned over the edge and nodded. "Thank you Warden Nahalanee of House Aeducan. May your name forever be remembered, Atrast Nal Tunsha." He said and without warning suddenly toppled over the edge following his creation into the life blood of the mountain. Nahalanee fell to her knees and looked over the edge muttering the same words she had spoken to Branka as she stilled the warriors life.

"What was that Warden?" He asked curiously.

She slowly stood and wiped her face before turning and facing him. "A prayer reserved for kings and queens of Orzammar." She said softly before heading back toward the tunnel. Oghren didn't want to feel moved by it, but something in his heart cinched tight as he watched the warden walk away with her head bowed.


	17. Worms And Maggots ch 17

"I spy with my little eye" Alistair said softly as he tapped the top of his pestle against his chin. "something that begins with …...'F'" he finished as he began once again crushing the mushrooms in the mortar he held loosely on his knee.

"Careful Alistair, you don't want to get that all over." Leliana said softly as she pulled the pot of boiling water from the fire.

"Sad that you are not looking in a mirror, or I would say fool." Sten said about as moodily as he could possibly get. He was watching as Leliana coached Alistair in the making of poisons and poultice', at least he would finally be of some use to the Warden should she ever return. His hopes on seeing Kadan again was quickly dwindling as a full month was nearing its end.

"Oh ouch. I bet you're ever so much fun at dinner parties." Alistair said flashing one of his most obnoxious grins of the day. Sten believed, truly believed Alistair would do so much better if he submitted to the Qun. Even someone as dimwitted and obnoxious as him would be well taken care of and have a purpose. An entertainer perhaps, or a steward would suit him better then Heir to a throne that would set him to rule an entire country. It truly boggled the mind how much faith the humans put into a bloodline rather then in the ability of the person themselves.

"...Fire." Sten finally said, because in truth he had nothing better to do then play these stupid guessing games and act his part as a bodyguard to the hapless Warden Prince.

"Nope. I'm not playing with you anymore. And you can forget about that cheese in my knapsack. I won't share it with grumps like you." Alistair said as he moved to sit beside Leliana for the next part of his lessons.

Sten growled in annoyance and stood, his knees groaning from the low awkward position he had been sitting and stormed out of the room. It was not completely Alistair's fault Sten was so moody, he couldn't help the fact he had been born a moron. The fact of the matter was that Sten had become increasingly restless. The blight raged on the surface devouring everything in it's path and he was stuck here, watching an idiot prince who refused to take any action other then to sit on his ass and wait. And the fact he was a giant in a city built too small for him was not helping. This was the part he hated the most, when the Princess dwarf was here he could stay outside in one of their tents, entering the city only when needed. Now he had to stay within the city watching a dimwitted mage hunter, who apparently didn't hunt mages. tch, Fereldens.

Sten snatched up Asala as he ducked under the front door of the Harrowmont estate, the same doorway he banged his head on nearly every day for the first week and a half the Warden Princess had been gone. It had amused the dwarves to no extent to watch the giant smash his head repeatedly on a door frame well over a foot higher then even the tallest of dwarves.

He stood outside the estate for a moment before turning right and heading toward the stairs to the center tier, the commons level of the city. Bodan had shown up a few days ago claiming to be the personal traveling merchant of the Wardens and therefor immune to the headman's axe. He had brought with him bags full of sweet cakes and cookies so Sten had vouched for him, and the horse pulled wagon was always useful.

He descended the stairs to the commons and the moment he stepped through the large iron doors he was surrounded by tiny giggling dwarves, nearly a month had passed and still the children found it amusing to follow and bounce around him as he walked their streets. News did indeed travel fast through this stone city, faster then his long legs carried him apparently.

"Can I ride on yer shoulders today?" One child asked as she skipped backwards ahead of him.

"No."

"Can I hold your sword?"

"No."

"Can you tell us a story about top side?"

"No."

"Is it true you fall into the sky unless you hold on with your toes?"

"No."

"Is that all you say?"

"...No."

This last ended in a torrent of giggles as they approached the doors to the hall of heroes. "Go home to your parents children, you should be learning lessons not running the streets like stray dathrasi ."

"Do you gots a mabari like the dwarf Warden?"

"No."

"What's a Darpassi...HEY WAIT!"

The last child was cut off when the guards swung the iron doors shut behind him, separating him from the children, and the children from the cold and sunlight that streamed in as the outer doors on the other end of the Hall of Heroes were pushed open.

"Aahh my favorite Kossith, Sten a pleasure to see you again. I have something new for you today, I assume you are here for your daily dose of sweets?"

"Something like that merchant." Sten said as he approached the dwarves small makeshift camp.

"Come now, I told you call me Bodan we are all friends here." Bodan said as he pulled a small sack made of burlap out of the back of his wagon and offered it up to Sten. "Call them Candied Violets. I am sure you will find them quite delicious." Bodan had bought a kings ransom worth of cookies, cakes and other sweets while in Denerim. It had taken three days and a few bakers to fill his order but it was money well spent. The wardens party were all very fond of sweet things and they always paid him well.

Sten grunted as he took the sack from Bodan and sat down on one of the stronger wooden boxes beside Bodan's wagon. "How do you dwarves live this way?" He asked as he opened the bag and popped one of the candied flowers in his mouth. He had to give it to the merchant, he did know his sweets.

"We have always lived this way, well most of us. Sadly our numbers are dwindling and in a few more centuries our bones will be sold at the Wonders of Thedas in Denerim. They might even try to turn our city into a stone museum." Bodan chuckled.

"Your city stinks." He said as he popped another flower in his mouth. "So many bodies without baths mixed with the foul stench of animals, darkspawn, and sulfur. How do you stand it?"

"Well those who live in the city were born and grew up in there, we never really think about it or noticed it, you will get used to it after awhile."

"I would rather not be here long enough to... get used to it." Sten said around a mouth full of flowers.

"No word from the Princess I take it?"

"No." Sten replied and then sat silently for a short while eating his candied violets and watching Bodan and Sandal go about their work.

"Be a shame to lose her." Bodan finally said breaking the silence. "Not to speak ill of the Templar but I don't see this blight ending before it swallows all of Thedas without Nahalanee."

"For once we both agree on something." Sten said as he popped the last flower into his mouth and stood tossing the sack into the back of the wagon.

"Ah liked them I see."

"Yes, they were very... interesting."

"See you tomorrow then."

"We shall see." Sten said as he wandered back toward the city. He was glad Bodan didn't have much to say today, usually he is a mountain of useless information, but it is worth sitting through for the cookies and cakes the man had stashed in the back of his wagon. He just hoped the dwarf wouldn't run out of them any time soon.

..~~

A door hanging slightly crooked on old hinges in desperate need of oil, the click of a metal clad boot on a loose stone, second stair from the bottom leading to the throne room. The smell of lye and the whisper of harsh cloth against a wicker basket as a servant passes by the door. These things Sten quickly grew accustom to as he lay each night in a bed half his size, feet resting on the floor hands tucked behind his head on a pillow much to small and stuffed with maker knew what kind of materials.

When Sten was uncomfortable he snored, and when he snored he snored loud, but he also slept light so it was no surprise to find him out in the hall with Asala in his hands and at the ready sometime just after midnight. The sudden thundering crack of a door slamming against stone and a dozen pairs of steel clad feet storming wildly down the hall was a good indication that something was amiss.

"You're naked." A small form said as it looked up at the giant without even flinching. The smell that wafted from the dirty little thing smelled of darkspawn, animals, and death. The only indication of what was under the thick shell of the black tar like substance was the wild golden gaze that peered from a dirt caked face.

"I am not." He said slowly lowering the tip of Asala to the floor.

"Close enough. I'm sure Leliana and Zev won't complain much but..." She shook her head looking the warrior over. "I don't think you will last long against an Ogre." She stared up with those wild eyes again.

"What do you expect. You and your guard force charge through in the middle of the night like an invasion force making such racket."

"You got big legs like an Ogre, but at least they aren't blue. Blue legs look really really weird. Ogres look weird, I hate ogres they hurt when they hit me."

"Indeed." Sten frowned slightly. "Did you succeed in your mission?"

"Kind of yes! I met my Ancestors!"

"Good, then perhaps you should get some sleep and stop making so much noise before you wake up the rest of the palace." He was pretty sure the entire palace was awake already and the rest of their companions were rolling out of bed and doing... whatever it is rogues and non mage hunting mage hunters do.

"Sorry." The woman whispers and grinned ear to ear, it was a wild grin one Sten did not like on the face he knew so well. "I will try to keep it down. I am going to go to bed now, if Urthemiel comes for me, tell her to come back in a few days yeah?" She said and patted him on the hip as she ducked past him, he could feel the fever baking off her skin and was actually a little surprised she was still able to stay on her own two feet.

Sten turned and watched her disappear down one of the halls shedding broken armor pieces and clumps of black as she went. She was also speaking, fast, in a mix of dwarven and trade while several maids followed quickly picking up what they could and leaving the rest for other servants to clean up later.

"She's sick with fever and a bit delirious." Zevran said with a sigh, he didn't look much better then the warden had, but at least he could feel no fever baking off the elf as he had with the dwarf.

"So I have noticed."

he frowned and slipped back into his own room closing the door behind him. As he settled back on the too small bed with the pillow that scratched his skin he smiled. Kadan had returned and she was alive and...well she was alive.

..~~..

She sat head bowed watching as the droplets of water slid down silver strands and splashed gently against the stone where her hair pooled around her feet. It seemed ages since the last time she could see the color of her own hair without the caked on filth of the deep, or the fever which kept her in a state of delirium for over two weeks. It was the only thing she recognized anymore, the silver veil that hid her face from those who passed by her bedroom door.

Most of the images from the last month and a half was a blur in her mind, others so very vivid they haunted both her unconscious and conscious mind._ Dark mother, dark mother dark mother. _The words ran through her mind. _Embrace the darkness that grows within you, listen to it's song. _

"You shouldn't be here." She said softly as she plucked an invisible piece of lint from the ugly bronto green skirt she wore. Thank the Ancestors her new armor would be done today, just in time to join the Assembly. She had not been looking forward to crowning Harrowmont as new king looking like a fool just up from Dust town.

Zevran stood in the doorway watching her, he had made not a single noise on his approach, yet he was less then surprised she had heard him.

"_I can hear the stone, my brother Trian once told me it was the whisper of our ancestors."_

"_You mean the lyrium within the stone?"_

_Nahalanee smiled as she traced the muscles in his stomach with her index finger. "No, the lyrium sings, the stone doesn't. It is the stone I hear."_

_"I do not understand." Zevran said his fingers lazily running through the thick mane of silver._

"_Stone makes no noise, and if you can hear it's silence, then you can hear when silence echoes off of it." She paused and then sighed slightly frustrated. "Trian could have explained it better."_

He didn't quite understand what she was talking about until they had found themselves in Orzammar. No matter how quiet he was, she heard him. Silence echoing off the silent indeed.

"Have you decided?" He asked as he pushed the door closed and leaned against it as he slid the bolt into place with one hand.

"Of course I have, you think I would choose the traitor, even if he has a firm hand?" She said softly as she grabbed a few strands of her own hair and wrapped it lazily around her fingers.

"You would crown him out of spite and hate for your own brother, is that truly wise?"

"Pyral is a traditionalist, Behlen would change things too much." It was the truth, though she knew that wasn't really what she was basing her decision on.

"Traditionalist?"

Nahalanee rubbed her hand against her skirt and sighed. "Behlen wants to loosen the caste system, Pyral wants to keep things how they are."

"What does the casteless have to say?"

Nahalanee let out a humorless laugh. "You're kidding right? Casteless have no say in this city, ever."

"And Pyral wants to keep it that way, a tyrant in his own way. Cowardly and weak yes, but still a tryant." He smirked. "Oppression in any form is still oppression warden."

"I...never thought of it that way." She said truthfully. She had been a noble and never cared what the Casteless said or did, as long as they said or did it in Dusttown with the rest of the vermin. "we don't see things that way down here, it's just the way it's always been."

"Your brother seems the better choice either way, yes? If nothing else, Harrowmont is still too weak to sit upon a throne."

"He is not my brother. I am not an Aeducan in the eyes of my Ancestors or the shaperate." She shook her head and sighed. "Why did you come here, surly not to speak politics."

"I wanted to talk." He said pushing himself off the door and crossing the room to stand before her.

"I think I've done enough talking to last a lifetime." She said with a small shudder. He knew she was thinking of the deep roads when she was sick with fever and muttering nonsense almost nonstop since.

"We have not spoken since we returned, near a week now."

"Yes well... I've been sick." Though it was true, she was using it as a weak excuse. The truth was the tension between them had become volatile in the deep and she didn't want to deal with it right before she had to deal with the assembly. "I don't need anymore lectures, Morrigan has given them to me, Lel, Sten, even Alistair has lectured me. Please..."

"I have something for you."

"What?" She sighed softly letting the lock of hair slide through her fingers and fall back into place.

"Come now Warden, it would not be a surprise if I told you before you saw it."

She sighed and raised her head, peering through her hair rather then pushing it aside. "You brought me a cookie?"

"Not just any cookie, it is as Bodan said The best damn cookie in all Ferelden, or he will eat his boot!"

Nahalanee smiled slightly and looked up at Zevran. "You brought me a cookie?"

"You were expecting something else perhaps?"

She smirked as she dropped her gaze back to the floor "I prefer apples, Sten is the cookie fanatic."

"Ah yes, I always get you two confused, I must try harder to remember." He said as his other hand reached out and pushed her hair back behind her shoulder. His fingertips traced her jaw and slid gently across tattooed lips. "Forgive me?" he asked as he tilted her face upwards to look at him.

She stared up at him for a long time, it had been to long since she saw his eyes with something other then aggravation or bitterness. Well there was that moment in the deep roads when she so bravely fainted at the sight of the broodmother. She thought she had seen something in his eyes... but no she was already losing her mind by then and she always had a wild imagination. With a small smile she reached out and took the cookie, callused fingers brushing against a callused palm. "Next time I want an apple." She said and they both laughed, it really wasn't that funny but they couldn't help it.

She grabbed his shirt with her free hand and pulled him toward her burying her face in his stomach, inhaling the scent of poison, leather, and wind. He wrapped his arms around her head burying his fingers in her hair and smiled. "By the way my dear warden, what in Thedas are you WEARING?"

..~~..

"Caridin was trapped in the body of a golem. This Warden granted him the mercy he sought, releasing him and destroying the Anvil of the Void."

"You destroyed the Anvil? Are you crazy?"

"That's right I did Volney." Nahalanee said. "I would no sooner defy the will of my ancestors then I would bring the mountain down upon this city."

"They are no longer your Ancestors nor your city, _Warden._"

"ENOUGH! We will get nothing done if we sit here bickering."

"What does this have to do with anything, we need a king not an Anvil. Without one we cannot send our armies to the surface." Bemot, Nahalanee had once been rather fond of his younger cousin Tyrsat, perhaps a little to fond at one point. She lowered her head letting her hair fall into her face to hide the smirk that crossed her lips.

Oghren who had been doing most of the talking for the warden, and loving every minute of it, took that as his cue to continue. "Before Caridin died, he forged a crown for Orzammar's next king, chosen by the Ancestors themselves!" He tossed his hands up in a dramatic display on the last words. "It was Caridin's wish that the Warden choose our next king."

"That is ridiculous! This exile cannot speak for our city, she is unworthy!"

"Do not disrespect the Wardens in my presence Varen! She may no longer be one of us, but if Duncan saw fit to recruit her then she deserves the respect her title demands. Besides we have been arguing for months, it is time to settle this and if we have to rely on an outsider then so be it."

Nahalanee tuned out the noise or the arguing and mud slinging that continued to loop around the room. Her heart beat was to hard and fast in her chest, no matter what she did enemies would be made, alliances broken, blood shed, and a house destroyed. It was the last that had haunted her mind since Caridin refused to name the king himself.

"Warden?"

"Sorry, yes?"

"You must name the king." 

_Harrowmont!_ The only name she wanted to say while standing there in the center of the hall. Harrowmont had always been kind and loving toward her, like a second father and very much into ancient tradition. Bhelen was strong willed, strong armed, extremely manipulative, and a traitor to his own kin.

"Bhelen" The name was like sulfur and ash on her tongue. The gasps from the Assembly mirrored her own surprise perfectly but Zev had been right. If someone had to lead, better a firm hand then a man with too weak a heart. And besides Harrowmont would probably be assassinated before long and Bhelen would end up on the throne anyway. This way she could avoid more bloodshed and make sure to secure the army.

She saw the smile cross Bhelen's lips, and saw the betrayal etched across Harrowmont's face. She turned away in disgust and quickly exited the hall as Bhelen plodded down the stairs to the center of the room. She had had enough of the Deshyrs, the throne, the dwarves, the stone, she never thought she would miss the sun and the cold so much. Ancestors was she really this bad when she was princess?

"Do you not wish to see your brother crowned warden?" Zevran asked quietly as he followed.

"He's not my brother." She said bitterly as she made her way into the streets where Sten was standing guard and waiting for her return. He did not look the least bit surprised to see her coming out with a look that could curdle milk. "We set camp outside with Bodan tonight, tomorrow we leave." She said as Sten fell into step beside her.

"As you wish Kadan." Sten said more then a little pleased at her decision.

Packing up had been easier said then done, the warden had many admirers since their return, she had been bed ridden for almost a week with fever but Oghren had a big mouth, and the more he drank the louder he spoke. It wasn't long before everyone in Orzammar heard the tale of broodmothers, ogres, shrieks, and paragons and the gifts had poured in, from small gems to large geodes with various carvings. She was pretty sure it was the Caridin part of the story that prompted the sudden outburst of generosity and kindness. Most would end up sold off to merchants along the way, a few she would keep for her own little collection should the blight ever end.

Two hours later while everyone else was dragging their belongings toward the hall of Heroes, Nahalanee and Zevran were walking through the palace to Trian's old room. The room Bhelen decided would be his from now on.

"Release Pyral."

"No, he is a traitor, he tried to steal the throne."

"You are far worse a traitor then he could ever be and you know it."

"He tries to usurp..."

"It was father's wish you never sit on the throne of Orzammar Bhelen, you and I both know it."

"There is no proof."

Nahalanee dropped several papers on the desk that stood between them, the letter from their father and the papers found in the carta's office. "We both know these papers will do little in removing you from the throne, but it will make your life a lot harder." She said as Bhelen stared down at the papers. "And you owe me a boon. House Harrowmont including Pyral."

"You expect me to just act like nothing happened?" His eyes were on the letter written by their father.

"That's right." She smirked and pulled the papers away as Bhelen reached for them. "Like nothing happened." She folded the parchment carefully and slipped them back into her belt.

"I am already giving you the army. Besides you wouldn't destroy your own brother would you?" Bhelen said sounding more then a little defeated.

"I killed one already, didn't I? And I love him." She said in a tone so dark, for a moment Bhelen actually looked genuinely hurt by her words. Good.. "What's it going to be, _brother?"_

"Fine, it never happened."

"Thank you." she said and turned toward the door. "Good bye Bhelen"

"I can't believe you did that." 

"Dwarven politics my dear Antivan." She said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.


	18. A Quick note from the Author

Hello my lovely readers. I see a few people still have this story on alert. My guess is that you just forgot it was on alert lol, however have not abandoned my dearest Aeducan Princess. Merely a very long...VERY LONG... hiatus. I stalled awhile back half a year trying to figure out how to proceed with her story and I came to the conclusion that if I am going to get it working right, I will have to rewrite it. The story will start in the same place, adding in the elves at some point between some chapters. I feel my writing has gotten a touch better probably not so I want to go back and see what I can do. I am also writing my Dragon age 2 story right now, though sadly the Warden that is mentioned in that story is not Aeducan but my lovely tattooed elf Meryn from Dragon Eyes. Some of you may know who he is.

It may be a few months still before Nahalanee is posted again, I am unsure if I will start a 'new story' for comparisons, or just switch out the chapters here. When I do I shall let you know! And thanks for being interested and I am truly sorry for stopping work all those months ago. I promise one day she will live again! This I promise!

Thanks again for to you few lovely people who have and do read my stories. I cherish you and every comment I have received!

Hugs and smooches

Shaleene


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